Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and are looking forward to the new year!

I had a low key New Years Eve. I spent the majority of the day running errands to the bank and a few other stores. In the afternoon I settled in to watch the Hokies take on UCLA in the Sun Bowl. It was not a pretty game for us Hokie fans and that’s all I really want to say about that. Barry and I both managed to stay up until midnight to watch the ball drop and ring in the new year with a toast in the only champagne glasses we have- the ones from our wedding.

Today was a holiday for work, so I spent my last day off getting a bunch of stuff done around the house. Most of it was the typical dishes, laundry, and putting stuff away that you have to do after traveling. I also spent awhile “moving” into my new daily calendar. When it comes to my calendar, I’m very Type-A because it’s how I function. Everything goes in there- birthday and anniversary reminders, holidays from work, races Barry and I are going to run, and reminders for the dog’s monthly flea and tick treatment.

Then I did something that made me feel very cliche. Bearing in mind it’s New Years day, I did a brand new workout. It was one of my new Jillian Michaels workouts that I purchased while we were visiting my dad and sister last week.

I really enjoyed this new workout and I like having more at-home options for cross training since I don’t belong to a gym. Doing any kind of workout on New Years day and in the days following the new year makes me feel a little cliche. Even though I workout regularly and it’s nothing new for me, I feel like you kind of get lumped into the “New Years crowd.” I even feel that way at home, where no one would even know I worked out if it wasn’t for this blog.

Hank kept an eye on me while I worked out, while Scout was out cold

I love seeing more activity out on the trails in the days and weeks following the start of a new year, and I wholly support those folks embarking on a resolution to be more active. I hope their new routine becomes a habit and they stick with it. I saw the same increase in activity in the first two months of a new year at the gym when I was in college. As history has shown, a lot of those resolutions fizzle out within the first few weeks. In the meantime, I continue to feel stereotypical working out regularly at the beginning of a new year.

What did you do to celebrate New Years? 

Do you feel like a cliche continuing a regular workout routine in the new year? 

Yet another light week of workouts and running. But as I mentioned last week, I am planning on keeping things lighter until 2014.

Monday- 3 minute plank. I sang the alphabet 13 times in my head with my eyes closed for this one. I wanted to go for a run, since I hadn’t run all weekend, but my shins were still bothersome. So I did the smart thing and took a rest day and iced them.

Tuesday- 3 minute 30 second plank. This one was really tough. After I hit the 3 minute mark my lower back started to arch toward the floor and I just could not get my back to straighten out for the last 30 seconds. I debated on whether that counted as my 210 second plank for the day, and decided it did since I never actually came out of plank position. My form just got poor at the end.

Another day without running because my shins were still hurting. I was going to do some cross training in the afternoon, but ended up taking a nap with the dogs on the couch. Since it was Christmas Eve, I left Santa some PowerGel and water to keep him going.

Instagram: turkeyrunner

Wednesday- 3 mile run with Sven in the morning. Obviously, my shins were feeling a bit better so I decided to get some miles in while watching E.T. I wore my Christmas compression socks, a green shirt, and my shoes with the jingle bells on them since it was Christmas morning.

In the afternoon I did a short 7 minute workout that included jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups, planks, chair dips, and step ups. I was still in my workout clothes and figured why not. It’s amazing how easy a 30 second plank feels after doing much longer planks with the 30 day challenge. On day 1 I had to do a 30 second plank and it wasn’t very difficult, but it was certainly challenging back then.

In the evening I did my 3 minute 30 second plank. I did a bit better than the day before, but still struggled with my lower back beginning to arch and losing my plank form towards the end.

Thursday- Complete rest day. Spent the day driving to my dad and sister’s house for Christmas, headed to a family get together upon arrival, and then did “Christmas morning” in the evening.

Friday- 4 minute plank. (hint: sing the alphabet slowly 20 times in a row to reach 3 minutes 50 seconds, then count down from 10)

Saturday- Headed to the W&OD Trail with Barry and Dad in the afternoon. I ran a little over 5.5 miles (Barry ran with me for 3/4ths of the run, but ran on his own initially and put in 7 miles) on the gravel path that runs alongside the paved bike trail. It was a cool 50 degrees outside and I really enjoyed this run. My shins felt good on the gravel trail. I committed a blogger fail and forgot to take a picture. But you know from Deb what the W&OD looks like already.

4 minute plank a mere 6 minutes from midnight to get my daily plank in for the 30 day challenge.

Sunday- I was hoping to go for another run, but I woke up to a cold, nasty rain and I just couldn’t bring myself to head out in that mess. I got two new Jillian Michaels workouts, since I like the 30 day shred so much, and I was going to do one of those but then Dirty Dancing was on TV.

This was the penultimate day for the 30 day challenge and it was a 4 minute 30 second plank. I made three attempts at this plank but never was able to hit the full 270 seconds. I guess I was just having an off day. I think I may extend the 30 day challenge until I’m finally able to hit 4 minutes 30 seconds and then the final day of 5 minutes.

Total miles: 8.68 exactly

I first read about this link up on Deb’s blog and then on Stephanie’s and Jan’s (I was playing catch-up this weekend). This is originally from Miss Zippy’s blog. Now I’m supposed to grab a button, but I really have no clue what that means. So I’m going to just repost the picture and call it good.

Does anyone else see a picture like that and immediately want to run on that trail?? I often have a hard time remembering what the heck I did all year when I try and look back. However, this year I started a blog (on January 14, to be exact) and between that and my running log I think I can handle this.

Best Race Experience

Is everyone expecting me to name the Thunder Road Marathon? Well, that was an amazing experience because it was my first full marathon after all. But I’m going to throw you a curve ball and actually name a race you’re probably not expecting. My best race experience this year was the Shamrock Hill Run 10K. First of all, it was my first-ever 10K. Secondly, it was one of the only races I ran this year where I felt really strong and just felt like I had a great race overall. I spent the majority of the race picking people off one by one. Let’s face it- that’s a pretty good feeling.

Honorable mention of course goes to the Thunder Road Marathon, which was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done but simultaneously left me wanting to run another one, and to the Downtown Sundown 5K because that race was just fun.

Best Run

I had to get my training log out for this one. Although I actually knew right away which run would be the ‘Best Run of 2013’, I wasn’t sure when it actually took place. My best run was a 13.1 mile run on the Huckleberry Trail at the end of March. You know it was a great run when you use an exclamation point in your training log in the ‘Notes’ section. This was one of those days where running just feels effortless and when one of those days coincides with a long run day, great things happen.

Honorable mention goes to two runs. The first was a ten mile run on a quarter mile loop in a campground that nearly landed me in a padded cell with a straight jacket on. Although I did not particularly enjoy this run while it was happening, when I look back on it I have to admit there were some serious gains in mental strength from this run.

The second honorable mention run was my first (and only) 20 miler during marathon training. This was not a floating-on-air-I-can-run-forever run, but it was a run where I had to dig really deep and was rewarded with an accomplishment that I wasn’t sure I could achieve. Barry rode his bike alongside me and refilled my water bottle as needed, which allowed me to run the first 17 miles without ever stopping. I only stopped at mile 17 for a bathroom break. He left me to finish the final 3 miles on my own, which I did.

Best New Piece of Gear

Hands down, my best new piece of gear this year is my Oiselle Distance Shorts. I had previously only run in soccer shorts, because I could never find “running shorts” that fit the way I wanted. Finally, I found these shorts that not only fit the way I like, but also have three pockets that allow me to store fuel, car keys, etc. while on the run!  They are hands down my new favorite race shorts.

Virginia 10 Miler, Hokie Half with Deb, and Thunder Road Marathon

Best Piece of Running Advice You Received

I have received so much advice from folks I now consider friends, whom I’ve met through blogging. I am so thankful for the connections I’ve made and the thoughtful advice and helpful tips I have received. It is really hard to pick one piece of advice, but one specific thing that came to mind is something my dad told me as he was biking alongside me during the marathon. It was in the later miles, somewhere past mile 20 for sure, and I was struggling. He told me “well, I may not have given you the genes to be an elite long-distance runner, but I did give you the genes to finish what you start.” That is not a direct quote, of course, since I was practically delirious, but it is something that resonated with me and that applied both in that moment and to running and life in general.

Sign on the front of my dad’s bike

Most Inspirational Runner

I draw a lot of inspiration from both my running buddy, Kim, and my husband, Barry. Kim and I have been running together for just over two years now. We have run countless miles and hours together and I couldn’t ask for a better running buddy or friend outside of running. Her and her husband recently welcomed a sweet little baby girl into the world on December 11, and she was able to run throughout the majority of her pregnancy. I am looking forward to miles together in the future.

I’m sure she loves me for using a picture from a day when it was 100 degrees and humid outside

I also draw inspiration from my husband and best friend, Barry. We are one of those couples that runs together but not together. Barry often has an unconventional way of training for races (as in he doesn’t typically follow a training plan), but his heart and tenacity for running carry him through. You can see how much he puts into every race on his face as he approaches the finish line. He inspires me to dig deeper and expect more of myself.

2012 Varmint Half Marathon

Sum Up Your Year In A Couple of Words

I am a marathoner. Plain and simple.

When you look back on 2013, what stands out the most?

Answer one (or all) of the questions above! Or if you’re a blogger, join in on the link up!

picture from Barry’s old phone

Baloo actually beat Hank by three days in joining our family and now resides on our front porch.

We also have Marvin the Moose, our recent Christmas decoration addition.

But I quickly realized he is actually Larry the quilt lamb. Ha! Streak still in tact.

Larry the quilt lamb is not the first ovine to join our family. We first got our two (unnamed) sheep trophies from the Varmint Half Marathon in 2012, as age group awards. 

Last but certainly not least, we have White Bunny. I have had White Bunny since I was 4 years old. I got him when we were in Colorado for my aunt and uncle’s wedding (I was the flower girl), at a gift shop on top of a mountain we hiked. I slept with him every single night of my childhood and now he resides on my nightstand. Not an alliterative name, but it doesn’t count if I didn’t know what alliteration was when I named him.

So it seems that I have an affinity for collecting animals and giving them alliterative names. I don’t think it’s to the point of being tacky, yet, though.  Surely not until it looks like this:

What critters do you have in your home?