Accountability Monday: 7/9/2018

Good evening!

Today I'm writing you from beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana where I am spending the next week at a conference for work.

While I'm enjoying the conference, it has been so hard to stay on track while away from home! I have very little control over what I'm eating (the conference provides meals) and the schedule is demanding so there isn't much time to work out. But I'm trying to make it work as much as humanly possible. I'm really looking forward to being back and home and in my regular routine.

Training
Monday: 2.26 mile run, 13:17 pace
Wednesday: 3.1 mile run, 12:37 pace
Saturday: 2.37 mile run, 12:41 pace
Sunday: 2.35 mile run, 12:46 pace

Total: 10.08 miles

Man, this summer heat and humidity is killing my pace! I've had to slow down considerably because of the summer weather. Sunday's run was HORRIBLE- the heat was so bad I ended up walking much of the last .75 mile. I am really not built for summer running. 😓

Y'all. This 👏 heat 👏 is 👏 no 👏 joke. In Indianapolis all week for work so I brilliantly decide to run at 4 PM today when it's like 90 effing degrees out. Swipe left to see what it looks like when you have to sit down mid-run because you can't hang in this heat. And then a beautiful picture of what was a beautiful day... just not for running. Anyone else minding this sweltering weather?! 🙋‍♀️😥🔥

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jul 8, 2018 at 7:43pm PDT

Best Run

Running on fourth of July is always a good time- even if it's not part of an official holiday race! While it was hot and humid and not the greatest running conditions, I still got to sparkle in my patriotic Sparkle Skirt so that's got to count for something. 😍

Bravo Moment

This morning at the hotel gym, I conquered one of my fears- working out in public in front of a mirror!  I don't always know what I'm doing when working out (besides running) so the fact that I grabbed some weights and made up a little cross-training/strength workout AND did it in front of other people is a huge accomplishment for me! And my muscles are sore tonight so I must have done ok for myself, right?

Quote of the Week

In the immortal words of my friend Dory, "just keep swimming!" Applicable to so many situations in life.

That's all for this week! Look for a recap of the Pittsburgh half soon!

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!

Accountability Monday: 6/5/17

Welcome to June! Today is my first day back to work after an amazing 11 days off celebrating my birthday and a week at the beach- I don't even remember what I do for a living anymore! 😃

One of my favorite things about vacation is that we have lots of time to workout; we don't have to squeeze in a run into the end of a busy work day. Matthew and I were very active this week and I have to say, I'm feeling the best I have in a few weeks. 

Training

Tuesday: 3.1 miles, 38:44

Wednesday: OBX Running Company Lighthouse 5k, 32:19; 45 minutes of walking after dinner

Thursday: 50 minutes biking around the outer banks

Friday: 2.51 miles, 30:25

Sunday: Bel Air Town Run 5k, 32:22

Total: 11.9 miles

Biking and donut-ing around this morning. 🚲🍩🌞

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jun 1, 2017 at 6:05am PDT

Best Run

This is a tie this week between the Lighthouse 5k and the Bel Air Town Run 5k. These are the fastest 5ks I have run in almost 18 months. I don't know how I averaged 10:20/10:25 pace for each of these races but I hope I can keep it up! My current 5k PR is 31:28. I'd love to shatter that and get a sub-30 minute 5k by the end of the year. 

Does this skirt make me look fast?

Bravo Moment

Matthew and I went parasailing at the beach (thanks to my awesome in-laws for the amazing 1st anniversary gift!) and you have to say your weight, out loud, to the boat captain and the guy putting you in the harness for the parachute. It's all about safety so you pretty much have to tell the truth, unlike when you're getting your driver's license/ID where you can fib a little. :-) Anyway, I'm super proud of not having any second thoughts about publicly telling a stranger my weight- I honestly didn't think about how incredible this was until later. Years ago, I never would have said my weight out loud. Never. Even though I weigh more than I want to currently, I have come to a point where I'm getting more comfortable with my body, no matter what the scale says. And that's huge progress for me.

Does screaming count as cardio? 😜🌊⛵

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jun 2, 2017 at 9:01am PDT

Quote of The Week

I saw this on one of my social media feeds a few weeks ago and it feels really relevant to me this week-

Yup. Got a few excuses I need to get rid of.

Have a great first week of June!

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!