I am a liar...

I lied…. I swore I would never do Hospital Hill again and I lied… I just finished another Year on the Hill….  

My sister has become a race junkie and in the different challenges she has set for herself she also pushed a challenge in front of me to keep up with her (unknowingly… I think). So as soon as my scars healed from baby #2 I began my quest. And although I had slowed down A LOT I was determined ot catch that girl!

As my loyal fans may remember I completed the Hospital Hill Half Marathon last year when I was carrying my son… Poor kid. It was hot, hard and exhausting but I finished!

I promised myself that I would not embark on this one again- it was terrible and by terrible, I mean horrible, hard, disgusting, heartbreaking…. Terrible.

And then I get a text message wanting my birthday, address, and t-shirt size… Yes- even from my mom and sister this is a very suspicious email… I was getting signed up for something! They knew me well, they knew I would wait until it sold out and then “Oh darn, I can’t do it- sorry guys it’s sold out.” Point for them, zero for me. I was signed up for the first 10k of the year (there was a moment of panic that they put me on the 13.1 docket, but they didn’t - whew!!) I was unsure with it being hospital hill, but nothing ventured- nothing gained, right? So it was time to stare down the bull.

My first practice 6 miler was a fail… I decided to go on Memorial Day during naptime, it had rained that morning and it was HOT… recipe for a muggy, sweaty and swollen run because you can never drink enough water to prepare for that kind of run. I spent 20 minutes talking to my sister about how I didn’t want to run, 15 minutes debating turning around at the 2 mile mark and the rest of the time worried because my phone had died and if I was abducted Jeremy would never know. Needless to say, it was not a good practice run and I had a horrible headache afterwards- BUT I did it and I felt I could now conquer the hill.

Race morning started with a “why do I sign up for these” kind of mood when I had to roll out of bed before 7:00 am on a Saturday but as I got closer, I was actually excited for the adventure!



Pre-Race shot with my favorite running partner



There were so many racers, we had to do a stagger start, so we didn’t actually start until 7:45ish but we were ready to go! My goal for my first 10k was 1:20:00, but I have decided to give myself some slack for this particular race, and here is why….

EVERYTHING WENT UP…. ALL THE TIME (I don’t recall ANY of those downward slopes!)

But I ran smart this time around, I didn’t commit solely to my intervals, I walk the hills when I needed too and ran as often as I could. There were great cheerleaders and even better there was beer at the end that I could actually enjoy this time so I was ready to go!

It was very hard to pass the 5k turn off (mostly because it was the first DOWN hill I had seen) but I stayed to the path and made myself finish. And as a side note, when it came time to follow the path for the 10k, the half marathon was also embarking on a downward slope… seriously.

I didn’t make my goal… I was disappointed… I know, I know I shouldn’t be as I did finish but it was a hard pill to swallow for me. Yes, it was a big accomplishment- don’t worry I have heard it all but I really took it hard. I have come around enough to just rely on the fact that I get to try again and I will do better… don’t misunderstand me here; I get to try another 10K, no Hospital Hill. Seriously I am not doing it again- ever. For anyone or any reason…. Did you hear me wonderful sister of mine?



Post Race



10K Completed....

My Hospital Hill Racing Family.... (My cousins Abby and Madi left before we could take pictures!)

Only 19 more weeks to go until half marathon #1… Who is with me?

More to come... Happy trails and I am excited to see you on the trail soon!

~K

Dangerous Pace

I wouldn’t say I LOVE to run, but I enjoy it. Silence from my kiddos, my husband and of course I get smaller and smaller as time goes on. But as we have discussed previously there are dangers to running, as well as things along the path that make me go faster. I have a very dear friend that introduced me to the show Criminal Minds, and is also pretty sure that you can find a dead body anywhere. That being said, I would like to discuss some of the things that can make me run faster than normal, AT MY DANGER PACE…

WARNING: IMAGES THAT FOLLOW MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WITH BAD EYESIGHT! (I WAS RUNNING WHILE TAKING THEM- DONT JUDGE)

Note: If your house/property/goose is pictured... we might have to discuss some very important matters

Places you can hide a dead body would be first….



If I have to run on the opposite side of the road because the bush is so overgrown, what is the source of the fertilizer?





Where did all that dirt come from and what is in it’s place?



Yup, that’s big enough for at least two bodies



This was made for an easy dump site! Just slide that body down the ‘ole body slide and problem solved!



Ah the road in which a Fox 4 News Van stopped me mid-run and asked “Is this where the police found the dead body?” Ehhhhhhhhh



Driveway- where does that lead? To dead bodies?



And now for just odd in general, odd enough that I will sprint by at neck breaking speed so I am not on the 5:00 news….



every time I pass this, I just KNOW that someone is going to jump out and scare me… EVERY TIME!!!!



If you don’t see these and automatically think of those super scary, creepy, haunting ghosts stories than you don’t watch super scary, creepy, haunting ghosts stories. There is nothing natural or pretty about these super scary, creepy, haunting ghosts’ story trees!

I am just confused as to why you would display one of these? To show me how you’re going to kill me??? CREEEEEEPY!!!!

Look closely… it’s not a horse… It’s a DOG…. A very territorial one

God made these creatures to torture me (well and squirrels)- they are not pretty and sweet- they are MEAN and hate me! And you NEVER know if they are real or plastic! Seriously!



[Sign under mailbox reads "Please do not block mailbox"]

What are you having delivered to you that someone cannot park in front of your mailbox? Even more, who is parking in front of your mailbox that you don’t know and can’t just ask them to move?



Are the police slow or the criminals? If it’s the police, is it because even they don’t want to come here?? If it’s the criminals—then why do you even need the police? If they are so slow you know about it, why can’t you just resolve the issue yourself??



I have never found a dead body en route, and I pray I never do but my imagination can sure get away from me sometimes! I hope you are staying motivated and healthy, (and following my blog) throughout your journey!

This month I have chosen a very unflattering picture of myself to try and kick my butt into gear and get motivated… so far I just look at while I am thinking about chocolate- the chocolate wins but HEY… it’s all about baby steps.

Very ALIVE trails to you,

~K

Change

Who likes change… no seriously… who likes change? For me it depends on how the change will affect me…

A good example… When the pounds fall off and I get to fit into those cute clothes I have in storage… I LOVE that kind of change….

HOWEVER—missing a turn and taking an additional 2 miles to get back to my house on an already long run? NOT OK! (No worries--- I logged EVERY ONE OF THOSE CALORIES!)

Adding running to a family of four means A LOT of things has to change- constantly. Stir into that mix the fact that my husband’s job can sometimes run after hours and almost ALWAYS happens on the weekend. Not helpful to a running schedule- so change is a constant effort on both of our parts… as well as patience!

In March, I got to run in the Diva Dash with the ladies in my family. It was my daughter’s first event and she was so excited. We talked about “wacing wif mom” for days and she was extremely hard to get to bed the night before. When we went to load up in the car, she shot off into the field! She was ready to RACE!!! She cried for the first few miles of us driving to the race but I think she eventually got it. we were still racing- but not in the back yard… we had to drive there first.

 I ran my 5k first… I thought I had beaten the last year’s time, far from it- but hey I got out there. I didn’t die and I crossed the finish... Goal accomplished.

Then it was Teagen’s turn… and bless her heart it was FREEZING! She was so excited though, we lined up at the 50 feet line, and they were off! Half way through the race the crowd on the side cheering them in had people giving out hi-fives to the little princesses. My daughter decided that would be a great time to stop, look at one of them and say “No touching, I no like you.” Nice. So proud! But my princess completed her race, got a tiara, a medal and a cupcake. And all was great… until mommy misjudged the grip on the cupcake and sent it flying. Eh… Whoops. I got her another one and that is ALL that matters!!

Still had a wonderful time and in the spirit of showing Teagen what it is like to live a healthy life... Mission accomplished. Racing has been a change of pace for my daughter but even more so now, we both look forward to the hectic (and sometimes cold) weekend schedule shake up just to be a little healthier.

Just remember, when you change something it can be super hard to stick too! Lately, my motivation has not been that great- okay, okay, okay… it has been non-existent. I have missed some runs here and there and I am pretty sure Jillian wants to know where I have been. Blech. Things happen, life happens- and that is a doozy for me! After much consideration, I have changed my running plan to incorporate 2 cross training days as well as 3 runs. This should help me to push forward with both aspects of my running program (turns out building up your muscles is just as important as using them- weird). I have included it for you if you would like a copy! If you

want help putting together a plan to join me in November- let me know! I would love to help in any way I can!

One last parting thought… Just because you think that is a nice looking pony from afar doesn’t mean you should get any closer to it… It might start barking at you and then what do you do???? (Lessons we learn when running)

Happy trails, sore muscles and calorie deficits,

~K

Mays Activities

(Week, Intervals, Miles)

Week 1	2/3	4	3	2	Xtrain 20	Xtrain 20
Week 2	2/3	5	4	2	Xtrain 20	Xtrain 20
Week 3	3/2	4	3	2	Xtrain 20	Xtrain 20
Week 4	3/2	2	4	2	Xtrain 20	Xtrain 20
Week 5	3/2	4	3	2	OFF	OFF

Rules of the Road

Road etiquette is not something I have made up nor is it something to be taken lightly! There are some of us that live in areas that either don’t care enough to put in sidewalks or cannot afford them- either way we are forced to share the road with some of you (often scary) drivers. Let’s get a few things straight here because I feel as though we are missing some very BASIC principles in how you should be behaving behind the wheel.

 

First of all, I am not on the left side of the road because I like to live on the edge… quite the opposite really. I need to know you are going to zoom past me!

Recently the left side of the road was not an option for me to be on, so I was forced (well I wasn’t at gun point or being chased by a lion) to run on the right side of the road. This was not a side street by all means, but a fairly busy 4 lane highway—yes it was a highway. AND it had just snowed- not dusted- but dumped the night before. But I had a schedule to keep and knew if I came up with an excuse once I would again. So here I was running as far away from the road as possible and here comes this green minivan (unknown to me) a bit too close to the shoulder. When this thing zoomed past me at 110 miles an hour- okay probably closer to 40- I am pretty sure I wet my pants. I didn’t know they were coming and I am confident that they didn’t see me either! I don’t think my outfit could have been any brighter either and it was in the middle of the afternoon- no excuses here! PAY ATTENTION!!

Again, people, I am not trying to play chicken with you. When I can be on the left side of the road, and there is no sidewalk… MOVE OVER and if you can’t… SLOW DOWN! Trying to get as close to me as possible is a horrible idea! I don’t like to look up when I run, at least not at the beginning; I am not a fan of seeing how much further I have to go! So help me out and pay attention so I don’t have too.

If there is a button for the cross walk- note that the whole right turn on red doesn’t apply to that button. So when you are flying through the light because you are late again, beware that you might commit a homicide because we didn’t see you!

Have I mentioned yet that exercising is clearly very dangerous and as I write this I am not sure why I participate in things that I thought was “good” for my health! I feel as though running with protective gear may be called for!

Lastly… no honking. Ever. Seriously. Just because the back of my shirt has begun to roll up my back, revealing my huge wedgy and too tight running pants, does not mean you need to honk at me. I know that I am pretty good looking, so this is no reason to honk at me either. Seriously. Ever. I enjoy living in the world of what I think I look like- not the world of what I actually look like.

So, in review, move over, pay attention and NO HONKING….

I hope you have stayed up on our challenge this year and continued to press forward. Remember, if you miss a run, a week or even a month- that is OK!! You just have to start again and keep going! No one is going to do this for you (even though it would be awesome if my sister would just do the work and let me reap the benefits)! No one ever said they regretted being healthier!

 

Happy Trails… and wear a helmet!

K~
(Still the captain)

My 10 little things

I have found that getting healthy and in shape is all about the little things...



 1) You can't feel guilty leaving your spouse with 2 screaming kids! It's like a bandaid- just get the painful part over with! Once you're alone and on the beaten path it gets easier!

2) It's not the binge eating that gets me; it's the little snacks throughout the day! A chocolate bar here and a handful of mini M&Ms there (those are sinfully DELICIOUS!!)! Gots to say no to those little snacks that I "forget" to add to my daily intake!

3) As I told my daughter while potty training, it's okay if you have a slip up and forget, you just have to try harder next time! And then make a BIG DEAL out of your success! Whether its a sticker chart and a present or posting pictures on Facebook so people can tell you how awesome you are!

4) Plan to succeed... How many times do we hear that and then don't do it?? My weekly menu is planned out and it turns out when it's stuffed full of healthy food, I eat healthier?!?! Crazy but true... Maybe that's why these plan to succeed people actually succeed -- I am a believer!

5) Be accountable to at least one person... Even if its someone smaller than you! For the last month the women in my family began a group (largely in part to my much smaller than me, older sister) in which we had to be active for 20 minutes everyday! And I'm talking sweaty-stinky-hurting-active. It was hard, but knowing I would have to write the post saying I was too lazy to get off my butt definitely helped me get moving! Not to mention another season of my favorite reality show The Biggest Loser in which 400 pound people put my efforts to shame!!

6) Make it fun!! No one likes to do things that aren't fun... Laundry, cleaning out the fridge, animal accidents on the carpet... No way to make those tasks any fun- I don't care what you say!! But my two year old daughter taught me recently that if its fun- you'll WANT to do it! This will explain why I break dance in the middle of a JT song and stop to laugh at myself when I can't figure out what I just tripped on! (Yes, I have caught people staring... Oh well)

7) Keep at least one eye on the prize and the other on the road! I have a little black dress and a pair of very expensive jeans that I WILL be wearing again, without my muffin top (even though that is the best part of the muffin!)! Every time I want that cupcake with delectable cream cheese frosting, I imagine it stuck to my behind and realize I don't want to run just to eat it! Nothing, in my opinion, is THAT good!! And they are little moments when you have to make a little decision but in the end it is so empowering to know you beat that cupcake!

8) Embrace the plateaus, no matter how loooonnnngggg they may be! Recently my weight and measurements didn't move for FOUR WEEKS, and I was working so very hard!! But, with my husbands wonderful support, I kept at it and then it happened- the numbers moved... And kept moving! But in those four weeks I learned to do this to feel better as well as look better! I finally get why so many people go the extra lengths to eat healthy- you just feel amazing!!

9) Put it all on film... Seriously. At the beginning of my journey, I took a VERY deep breath and squeezed into the smallest bikini I have ever worn... I looked like shamu got stuck into the plastic ring on a 6 pack of cans and couldn't get out! But bravely I stood in front of not only a camera, but my husband as well (someone had to take the picture). I want my own before and after picture as well as a way to see how far I have come and not just how far I have to go! All with a simple click!

10) My last little motivation is a two for one special... She is 2 1/2 and he is almost 3 months old. I love them dearly and want them to have me around as long as possible! I want to be an active and healthy motivator in their life and encourage them to do the same! When all else fails to get me off the couch my kids get me moving... And definitely find ways to keep me moving!

Next goal in sight... Be under my baby weight before my baby turns one! I may not run fast- but I can definitely run far!

Active thoughts your way,


~K
The Horizontal Running Team Captain

You keep me going

The first moth has been completed- done! And it definitely had it's moments. From leaving not one, but two, screaming children with my husband to running in the road because there is too much snow on the ground. This month was a month that I had to really rely on those around me that keep me going, that inspire me. Have you ever been inspired by someone? So much that it makes you do something you thought you would never do?

My journey to running obscene distances began when I saw a friend of mine talking about her journey on Facebook. She and her mother were going to run 13.1 miles together and they weren't runners to begin with. At first I couldn't believe the miles she was logging and thought there was no way I could do that! Shortly after my daughter was born I realized how hard it was to lose the baby weight and knew I had to do something- I proceeded to peer pressure my sister to run with me (no one likes to look silly on their own) and the rest is history. But I was inspired- and it helped me to understand I could do it!

Lately I have been looking for inspiration and have noticed the wonderful people I have in my life! So, in reflection, I saw so many diamonds in the rough...

My sister who has kept up on her running and I about to complete her first 39.3 series. Crazy- absolutely but Aw inspiring!

A friend that I don't see often but when I do it's uplifting, supportive and a laughing adventure! She helps me to find me and understand what I need in life- she inspires me to remember who I am and be okay with that!

A friend that I'm blessed to see very often, raise our kids together and laugh at everyone around us! She inspires me to be a better person in the professional and spiritual world and sees who I can be!

A friend that I have been blessed to share our single lives, our married lives and our motherhood adventures together! She inspires me to remember its all an adventure to be had and to enjoy it.

My mother, traveling her own journey but inspiring me to never give up! Just keep trying!

My husband, My best friend, My biggest fan... This journey would definitely not be possible if it weren't for someone at home that can help me and support me throughout the ups and downs of this journey. Just like I need a good bra to get through this adventure, We all need an excellent support system and people that inspire us on a daily basis!

This is definitely not a journey I could have done on my own. I have never properly thanked those that inspired me to walk this road, and my only hope is that I can provide inspiration to you to do something you never thought you could! By sacrificing anywhere from 20-40 minutes 4 days a week in February I logged over 25 miles! Little steps to a big hairy audacious goal!

I hope through my journey to become a better woman, wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend! Besides- who else would laugh at me when I explain how I ran into a parked car while changing songs on my iPod or that I'm so cheap and my bras don't fit that one side popped out while mid-stride?

I have a two part challenge for you this month...

• First, do something to inspire someone this month... You never know what effect you will have on their life! And if you have been inspired by someone- tell them! It will make their whole day!! 
• Second, give yourself 20 minutes a day. 20 minutes to do something good for you! My sister inspired the women in my family to do something every day in the month of March that will make you sweat, and not only do I think this is AWESOME for the women in my family but I think it would be great for you too! Let me know how you do! 20 minutes, you can do that!

Happy trails to you! Stay on the beaten path, trust me, you can do it!

~K

Ps... In an earlier post I noted my email, and I put it in there wrong- it is Katie_Alexander721@yahoo.com
I would love to hear your stories!