YMCA New Year's Resolution Run

First off...

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

2013 ranks right up there

 

as one of the most memorable

 

years of my life!

 

From one of the lowest of lows-

 

 having melanoma and starting the year off with surgery to remove it

 

and all of the fear and worry that came along with that;

 

to one of the highest of highs-

 

finishing my first marathon with my husband right there next to me

 

and my best friend there to cheer me on;

 

2013 was a year I will NEVER forget!

 

I learned a lot about myself

 

and have gained a new appreciation

 

for the "little things" in life.

 

With all of that being said-

 

I am ready to make 2014 an AMAZING year!

 

 

 

Here in the Midwest we are in the middle of an Artic Blast

 

and I am NOT a fan!

 

Actual temp of -20 degrees this morning

 

with a real feel of -47 degrees.

 

I think Mother Nature

 

has gone completely crazy

 

and needs to be put on meds!

 

I am also beginning to think that I may be crazy

 

as I am the one that chooses to live here!

 

It has been a very cold winter so far

 

and it is only January 6th-

 

I AM READY FOR SPRING!

 

Saturday morning we were lucky

 

and had a very brief warm-up

 

(if you can call 20 degrees "warm")

 

 just in time for the

 

YMCA New Year's Resolution Run.

 

We signed up for the 5 mile run series

 

 and did the first race

 

of the YMCA Winter Running Series

 

back in December.

 

Because we were participating in the series

 

we already had our bibs from the first race

 

and didn't have to do any packet pick-up.

 

We arrived at the Y with just enough time to pick up

 

our timing chips and get ready to race.

 

We were inside briefly before we got warm and headed outside.

 

Pre-race

 

Pre-race

 We did a little stretching

 

 and a quick warm-up jog around the parking lot.

 

Before we knew it everyone was heading to the start line.

 

Getting ready to race

 They did a count down from 10

 

and we were off.

 

In the December race we started off pretty fast

 

so we tried to hang back a bit in the beginning and took it easy.

 

As we came to the first mile marker I check my watch-

 

 we were at 9:22/mi pace

 

and I thought to myself that it was feeling much better than last time.

 

By this point I was already getting warm

 

and flipped open the flaps on my mittens.

 

As we headed to the 2 mile marker

 

I was thinking that this race

 

was so much more enjoyable than the last one-

 

temperature was perfect,

 

pace was way better,

 

and I was able to take it all in

 

and really appreciate starting off the new year

 

in such a positive way.

 

At the 2 mile marker

 

I check my watch-

 

9:17/mi.

 

At this point we are running on sidewalks

 

and it was hard to get around people

 

but we managed to

 

pass a few as we headed up a hill-

 

what a great feeling!

 

I love passing people on the hills-

 

it makes me feel so strong and gives me

 

such a boost of confidence!

 

As we headed to the 3 mile marker

 

we were on and off the sidewalks

 

due to them being snow covered.

 

At times it was hard running

 

in the loose snow and I wished that I had

 

done some training runs outside.

 

Mile 3- 9:13/mi

 

I was liking what I was seeing on my watch

 

and the run was feeling really good at this point.

 

I noticed that I felt more relaxed,

 

my breathing was good,

 

and I wasn't clenching my fists

 

 like I was at this point in December.

 

Shortly before the 4 mile mark

 

we merged with the 5K runners

 

and once again this gave me another boost

 

of energy and confidence

 

as we were able to pass several more runners.

 

Mile 4- 9:01/mi

 

As I saw my watch I was pretty happy.

 

We were doing exactly what we needed to-

 

we held back in the beginning

 

and were able to pick up the pace

 

with each mile.

 

Just after the 4 mile mark

 

there is an incline and once again

 

we continued to pass people at this point

 

and it felt amazing!

 

As we turned the last couple of corners

 

 we really picked up our pace-

 

we paced ourselves enough in the beginning

 

that we still had some energy left in the tank

 

to have a solid finishing kick.

 

As we came down the street heading back to the Y

 

we passed a few more people!

 

We turned into the parking lot

 

and sprinted it out to the finish.

 

Finish time on my watch was 44:58.

 

We didn't beat our time from the first race

 

but we enjoyed this race a whole lot more.

 

We paced ourselves,

 

had negative splits,

 

and had a strong finish!

 

Post-race

 My Race Stats:

Gun time: 45:03

Overall Place: 57/114

Division Place: 11/24

Sex Place: 23/65

 

Tim's Stats:

Gun time: 45:03

Overall Place: 58/114

Division Place: 11/13

Sex Place: 35/49

 

Overall 5 mile Series Standings (2/3 races complete):

Heather- 33/61 with a total time of 1:28:42

Tim- 34/61 with a total time of 1:28:42

 

Female 5 mile Series Results (Top 10):

9- Heather Wellendorf

YMCA Jingle Bell 5 Mile Race & Rudolph's Dash 2013

Life has been NUTS!

 

Working extra shifts,

 

work meetings,

 

work trainings,

 

basketball practices,

 

basketball games,

 

school programs,

 

Tim working on a side project,

 

traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend,

 

sick kid,

 

appointments,

 

birthday parties-

 

the list goes on and on!

 

I am sure you know how it is-

 

it seems everyone is busier and busier these days.

 

Even with all of this craziness going on

 

I have been working out regularly.

 

It was necessary to keep me sane!

 

Life happened.

 

Great workouts happened.

 

Blog posts DID NOT!

 

Now that I am back

 

the first thing I have to share

 

is my Jingle Bell 5 Mile Race Recap.

 

The Jingle Bell Race is part of the local YMCA Winter Running Series.

 

There is a 5K or 5 mile option and

 

you can sign up for individual races

 

or the three race series.

 

In 2012 I ran this race with my best friend

 

and a couple of other Coulee Region MRTT (Moms Run This Town) ladies.

 

This year, Tim and I signed up for the 5 mile series.

 

Packet pick-up was Thursday/Friday

 

and was super easy and quick.

 

Here is the forecast that we woke up to race morning:

 

We are in the middle of a cold snap!

We thought the Turkey Trot was chilly

 

but this was going to be worse.

 

We bundled up

 

and headed to The Y

 

where we had to get our timing chip

 

to attach to our ankles.

 

Since it was so cold,

 

we hung out inside the lobby

 

until it was time to start.

 

I was able to meet up with a co-worker

 

and a fellow MRTT momma before the race.

 

We were also able to get some pre-race pictures.

 

Micca, me, Nikki

me and my honey:)



Everyone trying to stay warm inside before the race.



Nikki the Running Ninja

Once it was about time to start we headed outside to the start line.

 



Heading outside to get started.

We were able to get a few more pictures

 

 and before we knew it we were off.

Pre-race: Running Ninjas

 Tim and I got separated a bit at the beginning.

 

As you can imagine,

 

due to the weather

 

it wasn't a large race

 

so we were able to get back together quickly.

 

The first mile or so my fingers were cold

 

but it really wasn't that bad.

 

It wasn't long and we came to the first mile marker- 8:54-

 

not too shabby!

 

I felt pretty good that first mile and was happy to see my time.

 

Shortly before the two mile mark

 

we made a turn and at that point

 

my fingers were starting

 

to get very warm.

 

I started to flip open my gloves for short periods of time

 

and then they would get cold again so I would have to close them.

 

About that same time I could feel my eye lashes

 

freezing together

 

and some of the frost from my hat was melting

 

and dripping down my face.

 

Mile 2- 8:50 pace

 

Again, seeing this time felt great

 

and I was still feeling strong.

 

As we started to close in on the 3 mile mark I started feeling it.

 

It was hard to breath through my mask

 

so I pulled it down but then the cold air

 

was hard on my lungs.

 

I tried to pull my mask back up over my nose

 

but it wouldn't stay because it was all wet from breathing

 

through it and it kept falling back down.

 

Mile 3- 9:00 pace

 

Between mile 3 and 4 I was ready to be done.

 

Despite feeling like we started out at a good pace- it may have been too fast.

 

Before mile 4 we merged with the 5K runners.

 

Tim and I were able to pass several runners at this point

 

 and it felt good!

 

It may have been just the push we needed.

 

Mile 4- 8:51 pace

 

In the beginning Tim and I talked off and on.

 

By this point it was pretty quiet.

 

We were both focused on keeping our pace

 

and getting it done!

 

As we made one of the last turns

 

and could see the Y,

 

I started to not be able to breathe.

 

The cold air was making it so hard to breathe

 

and I just couldn't catch my breath.

 

I tried to take a couple of deep breaths

 

and just keep pushing to the finish.

 

It didn't feel like I had much of a final push

 

but we got it done and were very excited

 

to see the final mile split of 8:38 pace.

 

My MotoActv said our time was 43:34.

 

Our official time ended up to be 43:39.

 

We were super happy with our time!

 

After looking at each other

 

we had to get a post-race picture!

 

Post-race: Jack and Jill Frost

 

As soon as we got the picture we headed inside

 

to warm up and grab some pancakes.

My Stats:

Gun Time: 43:39

Overall Place: 46/91

Division Place: 5/12

Sex Place: 15/45

 

Tim's Stats:

Gun Time: 43:39

Overall Place: 45/91

Division Place: 10/12

Sex Place: 31/46

 

In the end we heard that race temp was about -13 to -15 with wind chill.

 

After eating and visiting with friends

 

it was time to head home to take warm showers

 

and head back with Isaac and Aidan for the Rudolph's Dash.

 

Aidan did the race last year

 

and had been talking about it forever.

 

I wasn't sure how it was going to go with it being so cold

 

 so I was hesitant to sign him up.

 

After he continued to talk about it

 

 I decided to sign him and Isaac up

 

when I went to packet pick-up.

 

Aidan would be doing the 50 yd dash

 

and Isaac would do the 200 yd dash.

 

Once we got home and were getting them ready to go

 

Aidan was saying he didn't want to do it.

 

Isaac was very excited and was all ready to go.

 

We finally headed out and

 

once we were there Aidan didn't want to get out of the car.

 

He did this last year and ended up running with me holding his hand.

 

We headed inside and I got Isaac's number pinned on

 

while Aidan kept hiding from me.

 

Isaac was excited and ready to go.

 

By the time I finally got both of them ready

 

we headed to the gym to find

 

the kids making their way outside in a line.

 

We joined in and I had to carry Aidan because he still didn't want to do it.

 

I figured once I got him to the start line

 

he would do it just like he did the Jr. Gobbler.

 

I put him down with the rest of the kids

 

and started to make my way to the finish line

 

and he started walking away from the other kids.

 

As they said go he just stood there!

 

I ended up going back and walking with him.

 

He wouldn't even run

 

and when we got to the end he didn't want his ribbon

 

and wanted nothing to do with Santa and Rudolph.

 

I guess he woke up on the wrong side of the bed!

 

This is the best picture I got of Aidan.

 I wouldn't have forced him to do it

 

if he hadn't talked about it like crazy before hand.

 

He was the one telling us that he wanted to do it

 

so we signed him up!

 

Who knows what was up that morning!

 

After another age group of kids raced it was time for Isaac to go.

 

He was all pumped and excited to sprint it out!

Isaac is in the blue sweatshirt with the blue and orange hat.

  As soon as they said "go"

 

he took off and pulled ahead.

 

I wasn't sure if he could hold onto the lead

 

as they turned the corner to come towards the finish line

 

but as you can see he did great!

 

Isaac in the lead as they turned the corner.



Isaac in the lead and pulling away from the group.

Isaac coming to the finish line- he was pretty proud of himself after looking back.

I think Isaac is going to be my runner;)

Isaac and Aidan after Rudolph's Dash

 

Isaac did a great job

 

and was so proud of himself.

 

I have to admit that I was one proud momma too!

 

Overall, I think it was a great morning!

 

When you sign up for a race in December in Wisconsin

 

you just never know what you are going to get

 

and I think we made the best of it!

 

The YMCA does a great job putting on this race

 

and the price is awesome-

 

for the whole series we paid

 

about what you would pay for a single race-

 

can't beat that!

 

Doing the 5 mile series is also a great way for us to stay motivated this winter!

 

Stay tuned for recaps on the rest of the series-

 

The New Years Resolution Run in January

 

and

 

The Valentine's Heart Throb in February.

 

 

 

 

Edited 1/6/13 to add race stats 



Turkey Trot 2013

BLOG POST #100!!!!!!

 

I can't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate my 100th blog post than by doing a race recap!

 

I did this race a couple of years ago with Tim, Riley, and my dad so I knew it was a great race. When we didn't have any conflicts with the date we had to sign up! This no conflict thing later changed but we figured out how to make it work.

 

Sign up for the The 19th Annual UW-La Crosse Turkey Trot was super easy. We were able to register and sign all our waivers online. The other nice thing about this race is the cost. The price does not include a t-shirt so if you don't want that you can get by pretty cheap. Of course that would never happen with my family but I think it is still a pretty reasonably priced race. We were able to get the early bird pricing and,  even with getting the shirts, it was still cheaper than most other races.

 

Packet pick-up was also super easy. I was able to walk right up to the appropriate table and didn't have to wait in line. The volunteers were helpful and got our stuff together quickly while I signed the sheet to pick up the packets for my husband and boys. I was back out the door within minutes. While we were there Aidan started talking like maybe he did want to do the Jr. Gobblers Youth Race but I couldn't get a good feel for if he would actually do it, so I decided not to sign him up. On the way home he was back and forth talking about doing it. I got all the way home and realized that they forgot to give me Tim's shirt. In the end it worked out well because he was able to sign Aidan up for the Jr. Gobblers Youth Race when he went back. Aidan continued to talk about doing it so we figured as long as Tim had to go back to the Rec Center and our baby-sitter was ok coming along to watch him in the Rec Center while we ran,  we might as well let him go for it.

 

I think we were all excited for the race after getting our bibs and shirts. The only problem was going to be the weather! After seeing this on the news it wasn't sounding like it was going to be a whole lot of fun.

 

source: https://www.facebook.com/news8stormteam

source: https://www.facebook.com/news8stormteam

 

We headed out early so we could get through before the road closures and to get good parking close to the finish area (We got Isaac's basketball schedule after signing up for the race and it turned out he had a game at 10- lucky for us it was near the race location). We were able to find parking spots just rows from the finish area and headed to the Rec Center to stay warm until the 9 AM start time. It was a cold and breezy walk to get there and made us all question weather we dressed warm enough.

 

Once we were in the Rec Center we made our bathroom stops,  met up with other runners that we know and had some fun getting pictures with the mascots. 

 

Pre-race fun in the Recreational Eagle Center

Before long it was time to head out for the start. New for this year was starting corrals based on your predicted finish time. They give awards for those runners that finish the closest to their predicted times. We predicted our finish time to be 28:13 so that put us in Corral 3. We all jogged from the Rec Center to our corral and then kept running around in the parking lot to stay warm while we waited.



It wasn't long at the first corral was off and we started to walk forward. After two minutes corral 2 was off and again we were moving forward. Four minutes after the first corral started we took off. It was COLD and WINDY for this first stretch. There were also patches of ice on the road so you had to watch your footing.

 

Through this stretch the boys were right with us and talked the whole time. Isaac was very curious about the timing process and how everything worked. Before we knew it we were passing the Mile 1 flag. During this stretch we were running on the road where they closed just the right lane so cars were able to come up on our left. It was pretty congested so we were doing a lot of weaving in and out of people but we did a good job of staying together.

 

Before long we turned onto a paved trail to go through the marsh. Finally we were protected from the wind and we were able to really enjoy the race and everything around us. At this point the boys started to pull in front of us and go on their own. It was still very congested and there were lots of icy patches to watch out for through this stretch. Tim and I commented to each other about how great this portion of the race was- beautiful views of the marsh and of the bluffs along with being able to see the other runner's ahead of us on the winding trail.

 

As we got to the Mile 2 flag we were still able to spot the boys in front of us but we were not catching them. They were running strong and that made me so proud of them. At this point I found myself looking at my wrist to check my watch... but wait- that's right... I couldn't wear my watch because of the predicted finish time piece of this race. That threw me for a loop for a bit as I am a numbers/feedback person. At that point I just paid attention to how I was feeling and realized that I was feeling strong so much stronger than the last time I did this race! I felt like I was keeping a pretty good pace and tried to push myself as we were getting closer to the stadium. During this stretch my fingers were finally getting feeling back and I even flipped open the flap on my mittens. My lips and face on the other hand were frozen and numb!

 

It wasn't long and we were coming off the trail and back onto a street where we were able to spread out a bit again. Since we had done this race before we knew that we were getting close to the stadium so we started to pick up our pace a bit, but we also knew that we still had to run one lap on the track so we didn't want to go all out just yet (my first time doing the race I didn't know that and started my final push as I came to the stadium only to find out I had that lap to go yet). As we turned to the stadium I was fighting off a high side ache. I took a couple of deep breaths and once we got onto the track Tim and I really picked up the pace to finish strong. 

 

 

It felt like a great race but we weren't real sure of our finishing time. I couldn't see the time clock at the end because my sunglasses fogged over and after pushing it a the end of the race neither of us could do the math to figure it out. We found the boys and made our way through the finish area, grabbed some cups of ice water (they were suppose to be just water but they were frozen due to the cold weather) and we got in line to get our race result print-outs. Again, I am a numbers/feedback person so this is a must in my book!

 

Isaac needed to get off to basketball so he and Tim gave me their bibs and headed off to basketball. Riley, Aidan and I waited for the results - we were pretty excited to see that Isaac placed 4th in the males 9 and under and we all beat our predicted times. We headed back to the Rec Center to warm up, grab a snack and wait for the Jr. Gobbler Races to start. We weren't sure if Isaac would get an award for 4th place so we were planning be there just in case. Riley and I did a little stretching and before long they were announcing that we were to make our way to the stadium for the Jr. Gobbler Races but the awards hadn't started yet. As we were making our way that direction I found on my phone that Isaac would be getting an award but we would be missing the awards to get it for him. There was a volunteer walking near us that heard me and Riley talking and she explained the process to us, letting us know that we could go back after Aidan's race to claim it for him. I really appreciated that she jumped in to let us know that. She was very helpful as we talked to her.

 

 

The Jr. Gobbler Races seemed a bit unorganized this year compared to a couple of years ago when Isaac did it. I am not sure if it was due to the cold and people not wanting to wait outside like in the past or what the deal was. We weren't sure of where to be or what was going on. Then I saw a group of kids Aidan's size that had yellow stickers on their bibs, like Aidan had, heading out to the track so we just jumped in line. We got Aidan to the start line and he was ready to go! Riley and I were able to head to the finish line to watch him come in and he did a great job! A big improvement over the Rudolph's Dash last year when I had to run with him to get him to do it! As he came through the finish chute the UW-L Dance Team gave him a participant medal and he was so excited! He got his first medal and was in heaven. We got a quick picture with his medal and headed back to claim Isaac's award before heading home to warm up. We were all freezing at this point but we were also excited to hear about Isaac's basketball game and to give him his medal.

 

The weather wasn't ideal but it turned out to be a great race for all of us. We had a great time doing it as a family and I think it will become a new family tradition.

 

Tim (27:07.83), Heather (27:08.97), Riley (26:38.16), Isaac (26:56.96)

Aidan (finished Jr. Gobbler Dash)

 

The two medal winners had to have a picture together.

 



Hug a runner

Have you hugged a runner yet today?

 

It is National Hug a Runner Day

 

so get out there are get your hugs in:)

 

Cyber hugs to all of you ((((HUGS))))

 

I have had a crazy day

 

filled with work meetings

 

but I planned ahead

 

and was ready to  head to The Y

 

as soon as the boys were off to school.

 

I got in a great 5k run on the treadmill

 

followed by 15 minutes of rowing.

 

We are doing a local Turkey Trot

 

this weekend as a family.

 

This race is a bit different-

 

you predict your finishing time

 

and try to finish as close to that time as possible-

 

of course no watches or devices are allowed.

 

Going 'naked' (without watch or device)

 

is going to be tough!

 

For my run on the treadmill today

 

I decided to try to get as close to my predicted time

 

so I could see how that pace felt.

 

I managed to come pretty darn close to my prediction

 

and am feeling ready for the race on Saturday.

 

Now if the weather would just cooperate!

 

This is what is coming tomorrow:

 

 

We knew it would come our way eventually!

 

I was hoping it would wait until closer to Christmas!

 

Check out what happens after that system goes through-

 

23 degrees just in time for the Turkey Trot!

 



 

 

Looks like it is going to be a chilly race!

 

Time to break out all of the winter running gear.

Celebrate!

Operation Determination is turning 1 today!

 

 

 

1 year ago today I started writing this blog

 

and what a roller coaster year it has been!

 

 

 

I started Operation Determination

 

to share my health and fitness journey,

 

to show you that you are not alone in your struggles,

 

to inspire others around me to start their journey,

 

to hold myself accountable,

 

and to document my journey for myself

 

so I can look back on it over time.

 

Over the past few days I found myself

 

going back and reading all of my posts

 

and reliving some of the ups and downs from the past year.

 

I realize that posts haven't always been consistent

 

and have been all over the board

 

but that is because life happens!

 

This year has taught me lot

 

and one of those things is to

 

LIVE YOUR LIFE!

 

You just never know when that might not be an option anymore.

 

 

I would have to say

 

that this past year brought

 

with it the lowest of lows for me-

 

being diagnosed with melanoma,

 

playing the waiting game to see what action was needed,

 

having surgery and waiting for results,

 

and moving forward-

 

it was tough but it has also made me stronger!

 

Going through all of that

 

has helped me appreciate so many things!

 

My journey over this past year

 has helped me appreciate

 

and celebrate the good times-

This year was filled with them!

From time with family,

new adventures,

and vacations

to running my first marathon-

it has been an incredible journey! 

 

 



Consequences and rewards

 

Why is it that when I don't workout

 

I am more hungry

 

than on days when I do workout?

 

Why is it that when I don't workout

 

 I crave junk?

 

This is why physical activity (of some kind)

 

is necessary for me each day. 

 

 

Running and working out really are like medication to me

 

and when I don't get it routinely

bad things happen.

 

Take for example what happened on a rest day last week!

 

last weeks rest day may have resulted in poor choices!

I didn't even care about the cookies-

 

it was the cookie dough that I was craving.

 

I had a few some bites of the dough and

 

quickly made it into cookies that were then given away.

 

I had a bump in the road

 

but I realized what I was doing,

 

corrected and recovered quickly!!

 

 

I couldn't agree with this statement more!

 

When I don't run or workout it isn't pretty!

 

I am

 

cranky,

 

moody,

 

negative,

 

anxious,

 

and impatient.

 

this is very true for me

 

There are a lot of changes at work for me right now

 

and exercising daily is playing a very important part

 

in me maintaining balance and 

 

in keeping me sane!

 

 Exercise is my "happy place".

 

It improves my mood

 

and changes my whole attitude around.

 

It may sound crazy

 

but it relaxes me.

 

 

I know there are plenty of people out there

 

that are thinking I am completely crazy right now

 

and a few years ago I may have thought the same thing.

 

The first step out the door

 

 is still hard sometimes 

 

but I never regret

 

getting a good workout in.

 

 There is nothing like a good sweat!

 

It releases so much more than

 

just toxins from my body!

 

Working out is a habit for me

 

just like taking medication daily.

 

The rewards are so worth it.

 

I don't want to face the consequences

 

on a daily basis or the larger ones

 

that come down the road from in-activity.

 

Everyone has their "thing"

 

that they turn to

 

when they are stressed.

 

For some people these things are negative

 

like food, drugs, alcohol, etc.

 

I decided to change this in my life and

 

I hope that I am showing my kids

 

all of the great benefits of exercise.

 

It isn't always about doing it to lose weight.

 

There are so many other great benefits!