"To Everything There is a Season"

Hello, strangers!

It's been nearly a month since I've posted here.. and I'm kinda ok with that.

Oh, by the way, just listen to this song while you read this post and it'll all make sense. 😉

This summer has been pretty damn exhausting but in a really good way.

I got a new job. We bought a house. I'm going back to school in less than 30 days. All great stuff.

But all that good stuff doesn't come without a trade off. Work and the house have consumed much of my time. My running/working out has come close to a halt and my weight? Ha! I'm the heaviest I've been in about three years. After working all weekend on our garden, beers with my husband on our deck have been taking priority over other things.

And I'm kinda ok with it.

There truly is a season for everything in life- and right now is not a season of top running form or being at my goal weight. This doesn't mean I'm giving up- on my health or this blog. But it does mean that things might change around here just a bit.

I'm going to post when I want to and when I have something to say that I think should be shared. I'm still training for the 2019 Walt Disney World Marathon (because doing that and going back to school sounded like a great idea a few months ago!) and will be posting training updates here over the next few months. And I've got a great race schedule this fall so look for those race recaps. And you know I'll still be posting chronicles of my slow running on instagram. 😜

My weight is another story. I am struggling; probably more so than I have been at any time over the last five years. Day in and day out, I am following my program, staying within my daily smart points. I make (mostly) good choices and follow the healthy habits I've built up over the last half-decade.

But the scale isn't moving. My clothes don't fit. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable in my skin the way that I did when I was 50+ pounds heavier.

And it sucks. A whole lot.

Why am I gaining weight? It might be that my activity level has decreased significantly. It could be that my job is significantly more stressful. It might be because I'm getting older. I wish I had a more definitive answer.

But here's what I know for sure: it's important that I face this weight gain head-on. To talk about it, to own it, and even to give myself grace for it. The road to a healthy lifestyle is never easy... even after you'd been "cured" and reached a healthy weight, you still have to fight for it every damn day. Not all seasons of weight loss/maintenance are the same nor is it as simple as we think it should be. As one of my favorites, Jillian Michaels says, "Transformation is not a future event, it is a present activity." Emphasis on the "present."

So I'll keep on doing what I've been doing and keep sharing about it here. I'm not at a place to make dramatic changes to my every day lifestyle- with the house, school, and the job, I don't know if I could take anymore change- so I will keep on keeping on, striving to make healthy choices each day. And hopefully my weight will level back out and I'll feel more in control of this one part of my life.

Ok, with that off my chest, I hope you have a wonderful week! Meet you back here soon with training updates for my fifth marathon! 

Accountability Monday: 7/2/18

Good morning, friends!

With the summer heat reaching record highs this week, I hope you are all staying cool and hydrated wherever you are.

If you are training through the hot temperatures, here are a few tips to running safely in the heat:

• SLOW DOWN! Seriously, any time the temps are above 70 degrees, you should be slowing down by at least 30 seconds per mile. 
• Run in the coolest parts of the day- typically early morning or late evening. I'm particularly fond of running around 8:45 pm as I usually get to see some spectacular sunsets while enjoying the cooler weather.
• Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water (and/or beer!) before, throughout, and after your workout. I've been using my OrangeMud hydration vest on pretty much every run this summer. 

Ok, so back to last week's recap:

Training

Tuesday: 3.36 mile group run with Appalachia Running Company (ARC) and the Chambersburg Beer Runners, 11:02 overall pace

Saturday: 2.53 mile run, 11:58 overall pace

Tuesday's run was part of an Altra Running Demo at ARC so of course, I wanted to go to my second-ever group run and talk Altra with other runners. Typically, I do not participate in group runs. As a back-of-the-packer and run/walker, I usually find that at the smaller group runs in my rural area, there isn't anyone else there to run my pace and method with me. 

View from the back of the pack. And a tractor, because Pennsylvania.

But about a half mile in, I started chatting with another SparkleSkirt runner, Chrissy, and we ended up running the whole route together. We talked about runDisney, beer (she's a member of the Chambersburg Beer Runners), half marathons, and running as a back-of-the-packer. It was awesome!

After the run, Evan (the PA Altra rep) brought us some Troegs beer and ARC provided yummy snacks. We stood around and talked about ultra marathons, the newest Altra shoes, and swapped race stories. All in all, a pretty solid Tuesday night. 

The only thing better than running, talking about running. While drinking a beer. ;-)

Best Run

Tuesday's run, for all the reasons mentioned above, and because I was very happy with the 11:02 overall pace on a hilly route in humid weather.

Bravo Moment

Despite my current struggle with the scale, I've attended a Weight Watchers meeting the last three out of four weeks. Weekly weigh-ins are one of the keys to holding myself accountable and it's been great to get back into that routine; even if the results aren't always what I want. 

Quote of the Week

Presented without comment because I think it's that powerful. 

Have a great week! 

And happy early birthday, America! 🎇🗽🎆

Accountability Tuesday: 6/19/18

Good morning, my beloved long-lost blog readers!

My apologies for the hiatus from blogging but I have an awesome reason...


WE 

BOUGHT 

A 

HOUSE!!!!

Matthew and I have been knee-deep in the house-searching and then home-buying process for the last two-ish months and it's been an absolute whirlwind of a summer so far!

Not only was finding a home stressful (homes sell in a matter of hours in our area), but once we found "our" home, the process of making an offer, getting approved by the bank, getting the home inspection, etc. was time-consuming and worrisome! There are a ton of moving parts to the process and it's probably the most expensive purchase we'll ever make so, yeah, kinda stressful! 😅

We absolutely love our new home and are excited to be homeowners! And I'm very excited to explore the area and find new running routes as my training picks up for fall races (so far, Harrisburg Half and probably WDW Marathon).

But, running/training has absolutely taken a back seat to the house stuff. All our time has been taken up with packing and cleaning and moving leaving little time or energy to run. I know I'll get back to my regular routine soon, but in the meantime, my weight has been creeping back up with the lack of regular physical activity.

Can you tell where I went on vacation?! ;-)

After a few weeks of travel in May, I gained about six pounds which was to be expected. Before vacation, I'd actually been doing quite well and my weight was on a downward trend, getting back to a number where I felt comfortable and fit.

But if you've been reading for a while you know that for me, "vacation + stress (from home buying) = weight gain." At this point in my weight loss/weight maintenance journey, I know this is normal. Life happens. My weight fluctuates from month to month, year to year, and it probably always will.

Still, I'm not super happy about my weight or my lack of training lately. But here's what I know for sure: I'll never stop trying. So, it's back to regular weekly weigh-ins, a training plan, and more consistent blogging here. Writing about running and weight loss is one of the ways I hold myself accountable and I'm usually much more consistent with both when I'm writing and posting regularly. Plus the blog turns FIVE YEARS OLD next month so I've got to plan something awesome to celebrate!

Ok, that's about it for this week's very unconventional Accountability Tuesday post! See y'all next week and as always, THANK YOU for reading!

Accountability Monday: 4/9/2018

Good morning and welcome to another Monday!

I've secretly always liked the start of a week- a fresh new beginning; another chance to do whatever it is you feel like you need to do. :-) Cheers to the start of a great week!

Training
Wednesday: 3.1 mile run, 10:54 pace
Saturday: 3 mile hike; 2 mile run, 11:49 pace

We spent the weekend in the Pocono Mountains and even though it was frigid- temps in the 30's- it was absolutely beautiful in the forest. Trail running is quickly becoming my favorite spring activity.

If you're in the market for an awesome trail shoe- check out the Altra Timp. Heavenly.

Best Run
Wednesday's run was incredibly windy- 40+ mph gusts! But I managed to have negative splits and felt pretty awesome: 11:11/11:09/10:25. I also took the new Altra Duos out for the second time and I really, really like this shoe. The sole is very stiff but feels super responsive and bouncy- these are definitely a short-distance, road-warrior shoe. Can't wait to see how these do in a race!

This wind was INTENSE.

Bravo Moment
I tracked, planned, and portioned all my food last week and it paid off- I lost 2.2 pounds!

Quote of the Week
Life, just like weight loss or running, is best experienced with a little patience. It was awesome to be out in the woods this past weekend, soaking up every moment of peace and calm I could from Mother Nature; being among the trees gives me much-needed perspective.

Have a calming, patience-filled week, friends!

Accountability Monday: 3/12/18

After an almost three-month hiatus, Accountability Monday is back! ... a day late, as usual. 😉

It feels like I've taken a long break from training this winter- part of this is my normal routine. After a marathon, I usually need at least a month of easy, no-training-plan running. But it seems like my month has turned into almost eight weeks of not really doing anything. Work is partly to blame but so is a lack of motivation.

With this training hiatus, I can definitely notice the difference in how I feel every day both physically and mentally. My body aches, it feels like I've gained 10 pounds, and I feel sluggish and slow.

So, with only eight weeks until the Steel Challenge (Pittsburgh 5k + half marathon), it's time for me to regroup, refocus, and set myself up for success with a training plan that will help me cross both finish lines feeling in-shape and awesome.

Excited for this anniversary bling! Source.

Training
Saturday: 3.1 mile run, 11:59 overall pace
Sunday: 2.5 mile run, 12:19 overall pace

Speed work, strength training, and cross training must be included in my training plan for the next eight weeks-  I definitely have my work cut out for me this spring!

Best Run
Saturday's 5k was actually really enjoyable, considering that I hadn't run in over 14 days (yikes!). I decided to go off-road and run through the fields surrounding my house instead of the normal roads/sidewalks and it was honestly quite fun having a change of scenery.

Bravo Moment
I ran without a shirt on this weekend when I got overheated and didn't totally hate how I looked. That's a bravo in my book any day!

Mud means spring is coming soon, right? Right?! 

Quote of the Week
I'm building towards that comeback every damn day.

How do you stay motivated to training/healthy living when life gets in the way?

Accountability Monday: 10/30/17

Good morning and Happy (early) Halloween!

Since I shared some looooooong posts last week (Runner's World Festival Recaps Parts one, two, and three), today's will be short and sweet!

Training
Tuesday: 2.26 miles, 12:10 pace
Saturday: 3.1 miles, 12:36 pace, 250 feet of elevation
Sunday: Strength Circuit of my own creation including squats, planks, and back extensions

So, I know I'm late to the party on this, but I just discovered podcasts this weekend and holy crap, I'm hooked! I actually started listening to "Serial" (again, yes, I know I'm like a year late on this one, ha!) on Sunday while I was working out and it was such a different- and positive- experience from the music I usually listen to. I also checked out Rylee's podcast, ManBunRun, and listened to his interview with Bart Yasso. I am more in love than ever with Bart after hearing him share his thoughts on the running community on Rylee's podcast. He's such a great ambassador for our sport.

An easy 5k - with some gorgeous fall colors- to start the weekend. Still loving these @mojo_socks I picked up at the #rwfestival expo. Wanna win a pair of your own? Check out the blog for your chance to win- link in profile. ✨✨✨

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Oct 28, 2017 at 7:48am PDT

Best Run
Best run this week was the 5k on Saturday morning with my husband. Anytime we get to run together is a good run 😍

Bravo Moment
Race weekend + eating out every meal while traveling + lots of post-race beers = usually, a gain for me. BUT NOT THIS WEEK! I'm actually down .6 from last week! The numbers on the scale have been a constant struggle for me since our last cruise in March... but I'm feeling super encouraged with how things have gone the last few weeks.

I'm liking this downward trend.

Quote of the Week
I took the picture below while home at my parent's house this weekend- there's a tree in the backyard that is just gorgeous this time of year. There's something about fall that has always signaled new beginnings for me; like everything old is about to be let go and released to give space for new things to take root and grow. I found this May Sarton quote and thought it perfectly summed up where I am this week; ready to see what new things will unfold in the next season of my weight loss, training, and life.

WIN COOL STUFF! My Runner's World Giveaway is still going on- there are multiple ways to enter and you can tweet every day to gain more chances to win! Giveaway ends 11/3; see this post for details on how to enter.

Who wouldn't want to win this?! 

Do you listen to podcasts when you run/workout? If so, which ones do you like? Leave me suggestions on which ones to listen to in the comments!

Accountability Monday: 8/28/2017

Good morning and welcome to fall semester 2017! 😜

For those of you in college or with a kid in college or who work at a college, the end of August marks the beginning of a new academic year. For me, this means I worked a crazy amount of hours over the last week and weekend as we welcomed in a new class of first-year students. I am thankful the semester officially starts today and I will soon get into a routine with regular work hours.

Training
Friday: 10 miles, 2:07:03, 12:42 overall pace
Saturday: 3.36 miles, 39:31, 11:47 overall pace
Sunday: Runner's World Core Workout

Holy shit, friends. That RW Core Workout is NO JOKE!  I like to think I'm reasonably in shape (I mean, I ran 13 miles this weekend!) but this 20 minute routine had me feeling like I'd never worked out in my life. That means it's working, right?!

Best Run
Friday night's 10 miles were solid. Really, truly, solid. The weather was perfect and the trail was absolutely beautiful. I felt strong and healthy, unlike how I've felt most of this summer. Here's hoping this is a good omen for fall racing season.

Ten date night miles with the hubs. Felt 💯 times better than last weeks' long run. 🌅🌾🏃

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Aug 25, 2017 at 7:19pm PDT

Bravo Moment
Through all the activities at work this weekend, with lots of access to college campus food (cookies, brownies, and long hours on my feet, I stuck to my food plan and only ended up -5 with weekly Smart Points. Oh yeah, and I ran 10 freaking miles on a Friday night before a 14 hour Saturday at work! 😎

Quote of the Week
Man, this one speaks to me on so many levels. I feel like sometimes I wait too long to take advantage of opportunities and my "ship" leaves without me. So this week, let's just get to swimming. 👊

Also, congratulations to Tammy S. for winning my Runner's World Half & Festival race entry giveaway! Don't forget, you can save 10% on any race registration by using the code "SPARKLYRUNNER" at check out. Hope to see you on the race course in October!


Have a great week, friends!

Accountability Monday: 7/24/17

Well here we are, another Monday. Here's to coffee strong enough to get through the day! 😁

Since my last accountability post was just last Wednesday, this one will be short and sweet. 

In case you missed it, this blog turned four on Saturday! I'm giving away a pretty sweet prize and you've still got time to enter the giveaway (ends 7/29/17)- details are in this post. And, you can tweet every day to get more entries! Good luck!

Training

Wednesday: Harrisburg Mile Race, 10:04 unofficial

Thursday: PT Knee workout

Saturday: 2.57 miles walked, 40:44

Even though I PR'd the mile on Wednesday night (an automatic PR because I've never done a mile race before), I think I pushed a little too hard. My lungs hurt a bit afterward and it brought on another coughing fit. It feels significantly better today so I just need to stick to walking and light running for a few more weeks. With fall races just around the corner, it looks like I'll be walking a lot of the training miles. 

Best Run

The Harrisburg Mile was super fun- we ran along the Susquehanna River downtown and even though it was hot, it was still a pretty enjoyable mile.

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jul 19, 2017 at 6:55pm PDT

Bravo Moment
This weekend, my in-laws celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary! How awesome is that? Anyway, Matthew and I spent the weekend at their house and while my mother-in-law was changing out some pictures in picture frames, she came across this picture of Matthew and I from summer 2012 (left) and a picture of us from this past Mother's Day. Even though I have gained some weight, I can still really tell the difference in how I look in these two pictures. Seeing these was a great visual reminder of how far I've come and why I want to keep tracking and trying. Also, I'm ending the week with a few smart points left over- that's two weeks in a row!

Matthew has stayed as handsome as ever. ❤

Quote of the Week
... might have something to do with my giveaway. And my fall race dreams- maybe I'll be chasing a new half marathon PR?! Like the man says...

Have a great week, friends- make it awesome!

Accountability Wednesday (?): 7/19/2017

Hello and happy Wednesday! Some weekends just slip by me and I don't get a chance to get an Accountability Monday post together until Wednesday. 😊

Anyway, here's an update on my pneumonia. I had another CT scan about 10 days ago and I'm still waiting to hear the results. Fingers crossed the last round of antibiotics worked and the infection is on its way to being 100% gone. I have been able to walk (and run- slowly!) a little this week with no lung issues so I'm feeling pretty confident that the infection is healing.

Training
Tuesday: 1.8 mile walk with Matthew
Friday: 10 minute walk, 10 minutes of leg presses and calf raises, 10 minutes of walk/run- 1:1 intervals

This evening Matthew and I will be running the Harrisburg Mile in the "fun run" heat, not the competitive age-group waves as we'd originally planned. I will most likely run/walk the mile, depending on how I feel tonight. Tune into my instagram around 6 pm as I'm sure I'll be posting selfies from the race. 😉

Best Run
Definitely running on the treadmill on Friday night. It felt awesome to be able to run again, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Bravo Moment
Last weekend, I attended my first WW Focus workshop. These workshops are designed to be totally different from a Weight Watchers meeting- and they are really, truly different. The session I attended was all about techniques designed to help you get more in touch with your body, heart, and mind. There was meditation, breathing exercises, and something called "tapping"- a practice designed to help reduce anxiety.

I have to say, I went into this workshop not knowing what to expect and then being blown away by how helpful it was. It was a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm proud I kept an open mind. I've even tried some of the techniques this week and have found them helpful.

AND! There's a second bravo this week- I HAVE POINTS LEFT OVER! Yup, that's right, I have NINE smart points left from my weekly budget. This never happens. Like ever. I think the last time I had points leftover was well over a year ago. It finally feels like I'm back on track and in control of my eating habits after the last few months of chaos and lack of discipline.

Still not sure how this happened.

Quote of the Week

Be like a lotus- grow in the mud!

Friends, make sure you come back here this weekend... you won't want to miss Saturday's post! 😃

Have a great week!

A Very Patriotic Accountability Tuesday

Good morning, friends!

To those of you reading in the US....

I am writing today from the most beautiful beach town in America, Cape May, NJ! We are here celebrating the birth of America and the birth of my fantastic husband (a smidge early)! So far, we've had fabulous weather and I'm only -4 smart points for the week- a small miracle considering being away from home/routines is really tough for me.

I got cleared from my doctor to start some light walking so this morning Matthew and I will be participating in our very own little Independence Day Fun Run [Walk]. The race we usually do this time of year, the Wildwoods Beach 'n Boardwalk 5k, was cancelled for 2017 without any explanation. Which is a shame because we love this one and have done it the last two years in a row.

What do you do when your favorite 4th of July race is cancelled but you couldn't compete anyway because you're recovering from pneumonia? You plan a patriotic outfit for tomorrow and intend to walk a few doctor-approved miles anyway to celebrate the USA. 󾓦🎆🚶

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jul 3, 2017 at 3:46pm PDT

Anyway, here's what's been happening in my world in the past week:

Training
Wednesday- 1 mile walk with Matthew and our pup, 20ish minutes
Sunday- 3.25 mile bike ride while Matthew ran, 34:29
Monday- 60 minutes of bike riding (maybe 5-7 miles?) all around Cape May

Best Run
N/A. Though yesterday's bike ride was pretty fun.

Bravo Moment
Y'all, I have two bravo moments this week!

1. As a way to save money- and eat well while on vacation- Matthew and I brought groceries down to the beach and have been making our breakfast and lunch every day. Not only does this help us keep more cash in our pockets, but it also helps me budget my points for the day much easier than if we were dining out for every single meal. We've been making overnight oats (oats, blueberries, PB2, vanilla soy milk, and cinnamon) and chicken salad sandwiches (canned chicken, spicy brown mustard, light mayo, and 647 bread) to stay on track and stay on budget; both points-wise and money-wise.

2. I posted a candid picture of me in a bikini on Instagram. I had actually made Matthew take a posed shot that I wanted to use on the blog (oh, the life of a social media/blogger spouse!) but he took some candids that I actually liked more. Mainly because they are more accurate of what I look like, weight-gain and all. I re-read this post recently and it really resonated with me. I've noticed myself shying away from the camera and only posting/sharing pictures where I look "thin" in the last few months- basically since my weight has gone up and not come back down. But really, who gives a crap that I've gained weight? I still wear a bikini in public and feel [mostly] comfortable when I do. And honestly, this is what I look like right now, in the summer of 2017. I don't want to look back on this summer and only have pictures of the beach and the waves; I want to have pictures of me and my amazing husband enjoying the surf and the sand and making memories together.

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jul 2, 2017 at 9:46am PDT

Quote of the Week

truth. 

Enjoy your Independence Day, friends!

Summer Updates

Hello, friends! I know I've been a bit of a ghost around here the past few weeks; real life has been busy and has kept me from writing as much as I'd like.

First, a few positive updates:

A few posts back, I talked about launching a new look for the blog by mid-June. Well, obviously that hasn't happened. I'm having a little trouble getting the new layout to look the way I want it to so it will be delayed for a bit longer. You may notice some small changes I made this weekend (mainly to the header and the sidebar) in the interim until I can implement the new layout.

I'm still struggling with my weight. Each week seems to slip away from me and I haven't followed my plan as much as I need to. But I'm still tracking and still trying so that has to count for something, right? And I've been able to run and do a few strength-training workouts each week- again, not where I'd like to be, but definitely better than where I used to be.

In the last five weeks, I've been to three professional conferences, all requiring travel- just this past week I was in beautiful Niagara Falls, NY. Check out my scenic 4.5 mile run below!

Now, a pretty negative update:

I have pneumonia. After spending some long (but awesome) days at the conference in Niagara Falls last week, I started to have chest pains and shortness of breath on Friday night. The pain was bad enough that I decided to seek emergency treatment. My amazing co-worker Kim took me to the ER and seven hours- and x-rays, fluids, blood tests, pain killers, and a CT scan- later I walked out with a diagnosis of pneumonia and a mass (most likely mucus) in my right lung.

I will follow up with my doctor this week and will get another CT scan in the near future to make sure the mass in my lung is breaking up. My chest pain has subdued a lot since Friday night though it's still tough for me to breathe deep or lay on my right side.

Source

So, how exactly did this happen? I have a strong suspicion that this is left over from the upper respiratory infection I had in late February/March. The last few weeks, I haven't felt like myself; fatigued after a basic workout, constant back and rib cage pain, horrid headaches, a few days of a low-grade fever and nausea, and a stubborn, persistent cough. Looking back, it's easy to see that I should have gotten medical attention sooner- I chalked it up to allergies and figured it would go away on it's own. I've taken a few sick days here or there since March but definitely didn't rest the way I should have.

Long days at work, tons of travel, and not enough rest finally pushed me over the edge last Friday night. While it was a pretty shitty experience being in the hospital all night, I am infinitely glad I went and all the tests were done. Pneumonia is one of those things that can be deadly without timely medical treatment- even in healthy people with strong immune systems.

So, for the foreseeable future, I'll be resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and not doing any activities that require exertion, i.e. running. In fact, the doctors, the nurses, Matthew, my mom, and everyone else immediately told me "no running!" as soon as they found out I had pneumonia. I guess they don't trust that I won't run for the next few weeks! 😂 Though I will say, the nurse was impressed that I had just run 4.5 miles the day before I was in the hospital. 

I have to give a huge shout out to Kim- she stayed with me all night in the hospital and then after being discharged at 6 am, she drove us the six hours home by herself (after getting ZERO sleep the night before), just so I could get home to my own bed, get my prescriptions filled, and see my husband and pup. She is the literal BEST co-worker and friend on the planet. Thank you so much, Kim!

Kim and me on the American side of the falls. She is so wonderful ❤

So while you might not see any new running or workout related content shared here in the next few weeks, I've got lots of race recaps to post and I've been experimenting with some new muffin recipes- exciting, right? Ha! As always, thank you for your continued support- y'all rock!

Have a great week!

Accountability Monday: 5/15/17

Good morning and happy Monday! Welcome to another installment of Accountability Monday, but with some changes!

In the coming weeks, this blog will have a new look. The content will stay the same- race reviews, weekly training updates, etc.- but the design will be a little different. I've been working on a new layout for a few weeks and I'm excited to share it with you! I hope to have it live by mid-June at the latest.

Accountability Monday is also going to see some upgrades. I still want to use this space to keep myself on track, but I need a break from the usual things I post, especially my weekly weigh-in. It's not that I'm going to completely forgo weighing-in, I'm simply going to weigh-in once a month. If you read my last post, then you know that I am struggling with healthy living. I am constantly feeling like a failure (my clothes don't fit, I don't like the way I look, etc.), and right now, I want to focus on how to feel better instead of how much I weigh. I hope that makes sense.

So, these posts will continue with just a few tweaks! Read on to see this week's training, best run, bravo moment, and quote of the week.

Training
Tuesday: 3.1 miles, 36:06
Thursday: 2.54 miles, 31:21
Saturday: Vinewinder Race, 4.1 miles, 48:33
Sunday: 3.14 miles, 36:20

Total: 12.9 miles

Rolling hills and lots of rain for this year's Vinewinder Race in Hershey, PA

Best Run
Tuesday's 5k run after work was beautiful- great weather, negative splits (12:06/11:48/11:19), and there were sweet purple flowers lining the new running trail in our town to look at. I wish every run felt like this one 😃

Bravo Moment
Ok, so if you don't know sweet "Weight Watchers" lingo 😆, a "bravo" is a small, green sticker that we give out in Weight Watchers meetings when a member shares something they did this past week that they are proud of or something that advanced their weight-loss/health journey. So here's my bravo moment for this week: Yesterday was Mother's Day and Matthew and I hosted our families for lunch. We made WW-friendly foods, had plenty of vegetables and fruit on hand, and I managed to stay away from the cake and the rice krispy treats. And I didn't go over my points for the day! Woohoo!

And I got to spend time with my momma ❤

Quote of the Week
This week's quote comes from the ever-brilliant Lauren: "Keep tracking, keep training, keep trying." Wise words from a wise lady and just what I needed to get back on track.


Have a great week, friends!

Accountability Monday: 4/10/2017

Good morning! We've got sunny skies and warm temps today in the mid-Atlantic so already, it's better than last week! Can you believe that is snowed on Friday?! Gross.

Anyway, let's break down last week-

Training:
Wednesday- 3.1 miles, 11:16 pace
Saturday- PT knee workout (squats, lunges, glute bridges, etc.)
Sunday- 3 mile hike, 33:20 pace

My cranky knee has been a little achy this week- probably because I haven't been doing the strength training I should be doing. As you know from my last post, life has been pretty busy for us lately and unfortunately, workouts have fallen to the lowest priority in my daily life. My work life should slow down quite a bit after this upcoming week so I should be able to get back into a more healthy routine soon.

Hiking in the beautiful Pocono Mountains.

Food Find of the Week:
This week, I made skinnytaste's Turkey Stuffed Peppers for lunches. I haven't tried them yet, but can already guess they are going to be super yummy. Everything skinnytaste is fabulous! These look hardy and are only 5 Smart Points each.

On tap for lunch all week!

Weight:
I weighed in last week for the first time in almost 4 weeks and while I wasn't surprised with the number, I wasn't too thrilled either:

151.8 as of 4/5/17

This is definitely my "take action" weight and I've already starting putting some positive healthy changes back into my life (i.e. meal prepping those stuffed peppers above) as they have fallen by the wayside the past few months while work has been kicking my ass.

Non-Scale Victory:
My sleep routine has been on point this past week. I've been getting bed earlier and getting better quality sleep. I think this is one area of health that we tend to overlook, myself included, and I know I make better, healthier decisions when I'm well rested. I'm also nicer to be around 😊



What "healthy routine" are you looking forward to this week?

Accountability Monday: 11/28/16

Happy Monday!

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and full of good memories!

Matthew and I traveled to my family's home and got to spend some quality time with them over the weekend. We also ran three consecutive days for Matthew's Dopey Challenge training and I cannot tell you the last time I did that- as I get older and seem to be more injury-prone, I typically have to leave a lot of time in my week for recovery so I usually don't run on back-to-back days. That's one of the reasons I love the Galloway training plan as much as I do; tons of recovery after long runs.

That also brings up something else that I've been thinking about: run streaks. I follow lots of folks on social media and have tons of friends that participate in "run streaks," i.e., run every day for a certain amount of days. Currently, Runner's World is sponsoring one right now that encourages runners to get in at least a mile every day between now and New Year's Day.

While I love the idea of a run streak, it just isn't for me. My body cannot handle the stress of running every day for longer than a few days. I am in awe of people who have been running every day for years- my friend Brandi over at Funner Runner is on day 972 of her run streak! That is so amazing to me! If you're a frequent reader of this blog, then you know that the mere thought of running every day for longer than a week gives me an injury. 😉 So while you won't find me using the #RWRunStreak on social media, I'll be cheering for you from my couch!

Training:
Wednesday- 2.5 miles, 12:01 pace
Thursday- Turkey Trot 5k, 11:50 pace
Friday- 16 miles with Matthew, 13:22 pace; 5 solo miles, 12:33 pace
Saturday- Yoga for Recovery: Runners
Sunday- PT knee/hip workout

Child's pose during a little runner's recovery yoga this morning. Now we're off to #shopsmall and check out a local winery!

A photo posted by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Nov 26, 2016 at 8:12am PST

I need more yoga in my life. Seriously, it helped tremendously with my recovery from Friday's long run; I've had very little soreness and muscle stiffness. However, I have to be honest- those 21 miles sucked. I don't think that I found a rhythm until mile 19. There wasn't one thing I can put my finger on as the cause, it was just one of those runs that wasn't particularly enjoyable. But- that's the thing about marathon training- some runs are awesome and life-affirming and some are horrid and stupid. Only one more long one stands between us and Disney; five weeks until WDW Marathon Weekend!!!

Food Find:
Y'all know what happened this week- Thanksgiving + left overs + family time at a local winery = lots of food and drink for me!

Weight:
-1.8 this week
145.2 as of 11/22/16

Officially losing weight this training cycle has been surprisingly awesome! Though I'm not sure what this week will bring as currently, I'm at negative 38 Smart Points for the week. 😆

Non-Scale Victory:
I have been very happy with how I've been fueling during long runs lately- I feel like I'm getting just the right amount of fuel to keep going without taking in too many calories like I have when training for other races in the past. My brain will always tell me I need more food (old habits die hard) but luckily I'm learning to rely more on my body and hunger signals to tell me when to refuel.

Sport Beans work like magic for me.

That's it for this week!

Here's one more photo for you, just because it's Monday and pugs make everything better: Koda says, "Have a great week, friends!" ❤

That face ❤❤❤

Do you run streak? If so, what do you love about it? 

Accountability Monday: September 26, 2016

Good morning, y'all! And happy Monday!

Thanks for bearing with my absence from this blog for the last two weeks. As you may know, I work for a university and because school just started back up, I've been insanely busy at work which leaves me little time to blog.

To be honest, I have felt very stressed the past few months; mainly because I feel like I'm constantly running, but not actually running, lol. Between leading two weekly Weight Watchers meetings, attending a WW meeting each week, working 40-50 hours a week at my full-time job, blogging, marathon training, and trying to lose these extra 7-10 pounds I've picked up, I have really felt absolutely zero sense of balance.

So, I made the tough decision to give up leading my Thursday night Weight Watcher meeting. It was hard to say goodbye to the members I've developed relationships with, but my health and sanity has to come first. Now with only one meeting a week to lead, I'll have more time to dedicate to Walt Disney World Marathon training and some much-needed downtime.

Speaking of training, there's only 15 weeks left until race day! Yikes!

Training:
Sunday- 13 miles, 2:50:41, 13:08 pace
Wednesday- PT knee workout
Friday- 2.59 miles, 30:04, 11:35 pace
Saturday- Runner's World Strength Anywhere workout
Sunday- 3 miles, 36:12, 12:01 pace, stretching, foam rolling, and some planks

Last Sunday was the beginning of the long runs this training cycle. We have 15 on the schedule for this upcoming weekend. *gulp!*

Side planks during the Ravens game; multitasking at its finest.

Food Find:
I have really been enjoying Al Fresco fully cooked chicken sausages- especially the ones with Italian seasonings and red and green pepper. I fry this in a pan with some onions, peppers and olive oil and then serve it over pasta with my homemade pasta sauce- made with crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, roasted garlic, and Italian seasonings.

For a quick, low-point meal, these are awesome! Have you ever tried chicken or turkey sausages before? What brands do you like?

The best part? These sausages are only 3 SP a piece!

Weight:
+.4 this week
But, overall- I'm only one pound away from where I was before the wedding/honeymoon and I'm very happy with my progress this summer!

Non-Scale Victory:
Because of our schedules, Matthew and I have been eating out a bit more than usual. The other night, after a particularly long and stressful day, I chose to order a healthy option at a local restaurant, which is probably the opposite of what I wanted to order. This is a particularly hard challenge for me (eating at a restaurant) because I have a belief that eating out means I should "treat myself" and order the most fried, cheesy thing on the menu. It's still a struggle for me to remember why I go out to eat- to avoid cooking and cleaning, NOT to eat comfort foods. But I did it successfully this week. Sometimes, it really is about focusing on one meal at a time.

Chicken with kale pesto, roasted vegetables, and quinoa. Not wings and beer but it got the job done!

Have a great week!

Accountability Monday: August 15, 2016

Good evening, friends! I hope your Monday was simply awesome :-)

Matthew and I have been traveling a TON this month and it's showing in how little I've posted here- I promise I have a race recap coming very, very soon and will be writing more about my fall race schedule/WDW Marathon training in the upcoming weeks.

Training:
Monday- PT workout
Tuesday- 2.3 miles in 30 minutes, 12:58 pace
Wednesday- PT workout
Thursday- 2.43 miles in 30 minutes, 12:21 pace
Friday- PT workout
Sunday- 2.25 miles in 32:57, 14:27 pace

Monday- PT workout
Wednesday- PT workout
Saturday- 3 miles in 38:46, 12:54 pace

I had a session with my Physical Therapist last week and he was very pleased with my progress- so much so that he added two more exercises to my routine and told me I didn't need to come back to see him unless the pain was really flaring up again. Knock on wood, the pain has been pretty minimal since I've started doing more strength training and keeping my mileage low. I'm hoping to do a semi-long run this weekend.

Old-school training journal for this cycle.

Food Find:
Ok, so this isn't much of a food find, but while Matthew and I were in Canada this weekend, I had poultine for the first time! It's basically french fries, gravy, beef, and cheese curds. Wow, it was HEAVY. It was good but we definitely didn't eat the whole plate.

When in Canada...

Weight:
-2.4 over the last two weeks.

Yay! Finally seeing some movement on the scale has been incredibly motivating- I can finally see some of my work paying off.

Non-Scale Victory:
Even though we were traveling this weekend (and it was hotter than the surface of the sun!), I got up early Saturday morning and got in a solid three mile training run. And didn't get lost in Canada! :-)

Minutes per kilometer sounds a hell of a lot faster
than minutes per mile.

Make it an awesome week, friends!

Accountability Monday: August 1, 2016

Hello friends!

It's August- ugh, summer; slow down!

As a quick update, my MRI results came back last week and everything looks great! No torn cartilage or meniscus or anything serious- just swelling in and around my knee which is treatable with anti-inflammatory medication, rest, and physical therapy.

I went to my first PT appointment on Friday and let me tell you, I'm still sore. I'm definitely out of shape; especially when it comes to core and overall muscle strength. Luckily, my PT has a plan for me that includes a return to running this week (yay!) and a focus on strengthening my legs and hips. I showed him my marathon training plan and he feels confident that I should be able to complete the marathon in January.

Training
Friday: PT exercises (single leg squats, ball bridges, leg lifts, etc.)
Sunday: PT exercises at home



Ball bridges for days. Also, I discovered the Prisma app for photos and it makes boring photos look neat :-)

Food Find:
This weekend, while traveling to see my brother perform at Clear Space Theater in Rehoboth, DE, I ate out A LOT. Luckily, I found a bar at Wawa that I have been wanting to try out for a while- a chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar. Holy. Deliciousness! And only 4 Smart Points! It was so good I ended up buying three boxes when I got home. There are some pretty cool recipes out there that involve different flavors of Quest bars- I'll try some out this week and let you know how they turn out.

Weight:
-.6 from last week.

After a conversation with my WW leader, I am going to print out my food log from this week and give it to her to see what I'm missing. These past few months of weight gain have been frustrating but I know I'm making healthy decisions- even if the scale isn't a reflection of my effort.

Non-Scale Victory:
On the beach road trip this weekend, my family brought a bunch of "snacks:" iced animal crackers, donut holes, twizzlers, honey roasted peanuts, doritos, and "healthy" muffins.

I didn't have a single thing. I stuck to my pre-planned, low-point snacks. :-)

Have a great first week of August!