2015 Achievement Board ... Believe

 

So far, it's done! Does that make sense? I have added all of my current goals, some long term, some short term, for 2015! I'm so glad that I chose Believe as my word for 2015. It is already a word that surrounds me, which my daughter says is because I am Christmas Crazy.

 

But I digress. Back to my goals for 2015!

 

1. 2500 Twitter Followers. I am currently at 2192. If you don't follow me, please consider doing so! I follow back!
2. A Year of Small Changes Challenge. I just added this one yesterday, after joining up with Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. They are following along with the book, 52 Small Changes by Brett Blumenthal. I am excited about this challenge, because I know that my food issues stem from things that make me unhappy, and I really need to work towards that!
3. Raise $500 for MDA. My dad has a form of MD called Myasthenia Gravis. It really slowed him down a lot at first, but he fought back and he is doing pretty great. He can't do everything he used to, though, and that sucks. He is pretty active for an old guy! I will be running one of my marathons in his honor, and I am fundraising while I train! If you would like to donate, you can do so here. Every $10 donation will get a square in my Super Bowl Fundraiser, and a guaranteed thank you prize, as yet to be determined! I have raised $50 so far, $450 to go!
4. Run in two new states. So far, I have run a half marathon in 8 states, and I have run (any distance, even a training run) in 11. If all goes as planned, I will be adding Louisiana (training run), Delaware (half marathon) and Ohio (half marathon) as well as Canada! (also a half marathon)
5. Run 600 total miles. Training for 2 marathons should easily get me here, but an injury can sideline any best laid plans! My goal for 2014 was 700, but an injury wrecked that! I am 4.3 miles short of 600, and if the temps ever break 32, I will go out today and bang those out.
6. Complete NASM Studies. Wow. This has been on my board since 2013. I barely cracked the book last year. I am mostly doing this for myself, and 2015 is the year that I finish. Enough is enough.
7. Complete 2 obstacle races. I definitely hope to do my favorite 4H mud run, plus the ROC race again. Oh, and Rugged Maniac.
8. Money Challenge. I add this every year and have yet to complete one. Last year, I got to summer, and the kids basically nickeled and dimed me to death. (Or should I say $20'd me to death!) It was easier to just say, take a 20 out of the jar. Not this year! This year I have started a little early, and will be saving for Wine and Dine!
   
9. 1000 Instagram Followers. I currently have 943. If you don't already follow me, please consider it. I'm not gonna lie, I post a lot. Mostly running related, but also family stuff. And I am a total Timehop addict as well. I also like monthly photo challenges.
10. I have mini squares as part of my goal to lose a marathon (more about that later) so there are squares for 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 15 pounds, 20, and 25 pounds. I'm hoping that being able to fill in the squares every 5 pounds will help with motivation.
11. Hold a 5:00 plank. Yikes. I managed a 4:00 plank in 2013 and totally dropped the plankaday ball in 2014. My abs totally know this. They blame me. They judge me. 2015 is the year of the plank, my friends!
12. 30 Day Yoga Challenge. I have started this already, today is Day 4. Erin Motz is hosting this free challenge with daily videos at DoYouYoga.com and I get daily emails reminding me to get it done! I will be doing Day 4 after I finish this post! Each video is 15-20 minutes long so far, and focuses on a specific area. So far, it was hips, posture, and back/shoulders. Today will be abs.
13. Complete One Pull Up. Yeah. I have zero upper body strength. I managed one in 2013. I made it a goal to do 4 in 2014. I never managed them unassisted though. This year I will start from scratch. I'm okay with that! Once I manage one, I will add the goal for 3.
14. Run 3 Five Mile races. I love these, they are great training runs, and you often get a medal!
15. Run 12 Half Marathons. Because I plan to run 2 marathons this year, I am not reaching for 15 in 2015. Of course, if the opportunity arises, it could happen anyway, right?
16. Lose a Marathon in pounds. I joined a challenge in 2012 to lose a marathon in pounds and I pulled it off. It was so exciting. I just couldn't keep it off! I have been learning a lot about my eating habits, though, and this is the year for me! Thanks Jess!
    
17. PR. This is a tricky one. My first 2 years of running I was trying to beat my best time. 2014 was the year of the injury, so I shot for course PRs and annual PRs. This year, I am going to play along as I go. My marathon PR is just over 7 hours because I have only ever run in Disney, and we rode a roller coaster and stopped for characters. I am thinking that will be pretty easy to beat!
18. 1500 Facebook followers. Do you follow me on facebook? Right now I have just over 1200 followers. I mostly share race pics, monthly challenges I will be doing, and blog updates.
19. Master 4 new yoga poses. I love yoga but I am not very good at anything beyond the basics. I would love to master some new poses!
20. Meet Me on Mars, 1000 miles run. I love this series from Moon Jogger. This is their third year, but my first participating. I am excited about this challenge! I am hoping to break 1000 miles running, which will make me an Officer.
    
21. 500 Pinterest Followers. I love Pinterest. I mostly use it to scope out new recipes but I also have some great TV workouts on there, as well as motivational pictures! I currently have 369 followers, are you one of them? Maybe this will be a goal I can update during the year!
22. Keep my chart safe from evil kittens. Yeah, this one needs some explaining. Right after I made my chart, I left it on the dining room table and went out. And the kitten chewed on it. She.loves.cardboard. And paper. She seriously thinks the printer is a paper God that sends her gifts. For real. It's a sickness. I am guessing this is one square that won't get colored in.
23. Run 2 marathons. I have one already registered for, and the other I will register for when it opens. I had only planned on doing one. Then Gigi from Running on Candy asked me to join her for another one. I pointed out that they were one week apart but I would totally come cheer her on. She pointed out that running both would make me a Marathon Maniac and a Double Agent. I caved. I hate her. I love her. Or maybe both.
24. Read 30 books. This was also my goal for 2014. I finished 31.Score! I have a great job that allows for a lot of reading! I am on Goodreads, if you want to follow me!
25. 
    Meet Me On Mars, 2015 miles total. I walk a lot. We walk the dogs a couple miles a day. Most days, anyway. This total will be from checking my Fitbit every day. I have no idea how this will  add up, but I am curious to see!
26. Run one 10K. I would love to run more, but they are hard to come by!
27. Declutter Challenge. A friend posted this challenge, and originally I thought that it was January only, but it runs all.year.long. I am super organized but also a mess. I hate dusting. I hate cleaning. My poor hubs! I do just enough so that nothing is dirty or moldy. Anyway, there is a Facebook page, and monthly calendars with daily assignments!
    
28.  Lean and Clean Challenge. This starts on the 5th and is a food and exercise challenge. It's a free challenge and the workouts use basic equipment. I am using this to get me in the groove for cross training, which I struggle with!
29. Run 15 5Ks. I ran 20 last year, I don't anticipate a problem! My friends and I love them!
30. 100 day Challenge. 30 minutes of activity a day for 100 days. Thanks to John Bingham for posting this on his page!
    
    

 

 

Whew! What are some of your goals for 2015?

Frosty Vox Box from Influenster

 

 

 

Now that it is finally Frosty at the Jersey Shore, I feel like I can finally write about my latest Vox Box from Influenster! Every so often, Influenster will provide me with awesome products to try, with no obligation to provide a review, positive or negative. As always, all opinions are my own.

Are you an Influenster? If you are not, and want to check it out, comment below with your email addy and I will send you an invite!

 

 

Unfortunately for me, the Teenie found the box right away and confiscated a lot of the products!

She stole the tea, because she is a vocalist she drinks a lot of it! Celestial Seasonings is our favorite, so she was super happy! She had a Winter Showcase and she brought it with her to drink before the show. Blogger Teenie fail, she didn't take a pic! She says it was gone too fast!

She also took the NYC Expert Last Sugar Plum lip color  and the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner. Check out the bottom pic, she looks awesome! The Rimmel Eye Makeup Remover also disappeared with the teenie, to be stored in her performance makeup case. I will likely never see that again!

singing Poor Wandering One from Pirates of Penenzance



Luckily for me, she didn't think the Hair Brush by EcoTools is good for her thick long hair, so I scooped it right up for my running bag!

 

The Thyme from McCormick came just in time for our Christmas Turkey! I didn't take a lot if pics that day, it was all about family, so the turkey pic is not a thing.

 

I cannot believe the Fruit Vines have not been opened yet! My daughter is a HUGE Red Vines fan, and she must have forgotten I have them! I am sure there will be an epic battler when I pull them out! the hubs and I like to eat licorice type candy when we watch movies, so I am saving them!

 

I am really loving all of these new products!

 

Have you ever used any of these products before?

 



 

 

 

Polar Bear Run 5k and a Yoga Challenge

Today I started my day with a new 30 day challenge. Rather than waiting until a Monday or the first of the month, I jumped right in and began this morning.

Day 1 was a 20 minute workout focusing on your hips. It was glorious! As a runner, my hips need lots of stretching! I cannot wait to find out what day 2 will bring!

Afterwards, I did some laundry and then got dressed for the Polar Bear Run. 

I was signing up last minute, and it was a beautiful day, so I wanted to be sure I got there early enough to score a tee with my registration!

It was cloudy, and I worried about rain, but it was warm, so I couldn't be too picky! The hubs and I hung out in the car until it was close to start time and then met up with the girls for a potty break.

Time for the race! The hubs ran part of it with me, which was fun, but my lack of running for the last few weeks, added to my forgetting to drink enough water beforehand, did not make for a great race! It never really rained, which was nice, but I didn't finish as well as I would have liked!

Cheryl and I stopped for a final post race selfie before heading to the after party to see if any of us placed.

Cheryl and Makela came so close! 4th in their age group, both of them! Rock Stars!

It wouldn't be a trip to Asbury Park without having Mogo and Confections of a Rockstar....

Perfect day for my final race of 2014! Well, maybe my last, there is one on NYE that I'm considering!

Do you have any more races in 2014?

Staying Active on Vacation AC Style

The hubs and I decided to take advantage of this insane Spring like weather and walk the boardwalk in Atlantic City today.

We started with lunch at the Continental in the shops across from Caesar's. We even took the stairs to the third floor. The poor hubs was winded by the time we got there. 

The Thai peanut butter skewers were worth it and the appetizer portion was just right!

We tried some slots but didn't win anything. $40 donated to Trump was how our day ended!

More walking in the beautiful weather was the perfect end to the afternoon! I left with over 11,000 steps done.

Have you been staying active over the holidays? 

Merry Christmas

We went for a run....

My dad built me a new medal rack!

We visited Harry Potter the flying squirrel...

My son built a tunnel of gifts.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday week as much as we are!

2015 Achievement Board

Getting started.....

Adding the goals, lots of empty spaces to add more during the year!

I will post my goals after the New Year!

2014 Achievement Board

With the year coming to a close, I have updated my Achievement Board. I won't be meeting any more of my goals, so I can post it now!

I love seeing all that color, a little bummed about the white spaces, but not devastated. 

I didn't master 8 new yoga poses, but I did master 4!

4 pull ups? Not so much! I will work on that in 2015!

Hit the 150s? Never came close, but it is my constant struggle, and one day I will beat it!

I just finished my 30th book and in workig on 31 right now!

I completed nineteen 5ks!

5:00 plank? Nope, I think I hit 3:00 at one point! Time to start up that plankaday again!

I completed 14 half marathons, my last being Wine and Dine, which was also my 30th ever!

I completed four 5 mile races.

I did not do the du, because of injury.

I completed three obstacle races.

I did not take the NASM test.

I completed two 10ks.

I PRd in the half marathon, not overall, but for a course, knocking over 10 minutes off the previous year's time!

I have 500 followers on Instagram. Actually, almost 900. Score!

I PRd in a 5k, not overall but a course PR by about three minutes.

I completed a Training plan: PiYo!

I PRd in the 10k, course PR.

I did not hit level 18 in sparkpeople, because I left the site. I just couldn't keep up, and it left me feeling bad all the time, so I stopped using it.

I PRd in a five miler, course PR.

Money challenge? I made it to summer, which is longer than last year. I will conquer it in 2015!

Run 700 miles? Nope, about 550 or so, due to injury. 

Run in a new state. I added Illinois to my list this summer, when I did Pretty Muddy and Massachusetts when I did the Zooma Half.

1200 followers on facebook, with the help of my blogger friends, I hit that goal in early December.

Jupiter Level, Half Fanatics. Score! Probably won't advance past that though!

Complete NASM studies. Nope. I need to finish! What a slacker!

I have my word for 2015, Believe, I just need to make the board and add my goals, which are already written!

I hope you met most of your goals for 2014 as well!

Wordless Wednesday

Some things to come in future posts! I will be reviewing......

Jingle Bell 5k recap and a #Giveaway

 

I had a grand plan for the weekend. Three 5ks, all with a Christmas theme. Two on Saturday and one on Sunday. It was a grand plan. Of course, things do not always go as planned.

I have not gone for a run in two weeks. Some PiYo, some dog walks, some 4 mile power walks in the living room. No runs. Lots of rain, wind, and snow.

My friend Kim was excited about the Jingle Bell Run, she is preggers and has had to skip the last few races because of life getting in the way, but all the stars aligned and this was the one she could go to! I met her at Bar A and we registered for the race. Well, she registered. I stood on line in the freezing cold, waiting for my bib and bag of swag. Forever.

They had one girl handing out bibs and about five people running for swag bags. When it was my turn to get my bib, she had me registered as a walker with no bib. Ummmmmm no. So she walked me back to the first table to get me a bib while all the others on line had to wait for her return. She stayed with me until I got my bib. Sweet, but not so great for those waiting for *their* bibs.

Back to the car I went, to stay warm until race time. We met back at the bar to pee before the race, and to stay warm.

 

 

 

 

The course was different than the usual ones that began and ended at Bar A. That was the first oddity. I forgot my watch and my earbuds, so I was basically running naked, although I had my phone and started Map My Run when the race began. Ten minutes late. Have I mentioned how cold it was?

Instead of running around Lake Como, this race  had us run halfway around it and then loop back. It went by so quickly! My legs felt heavy and I knew it wasn't going well. My arch ached a bit and I started thinking, for the first time, that this might be the only race I did this weekend.

 There was no water stop and no mile markers.

As we made that last turn before the finish, I pulled out my phone so I could pause the app after the finish. I glanced at it, and saw the mileage as 2.5 and thought that it needed to catch up with me, as the phone had gone to sleep during the run.

 

 Holy heck! I saw the time as I approached and knew something was up. My heavy achey legs PRd? No way. Sure enough, my app said 2.6 miles. Race Fail. If we had started at the usual spot, this would have been much closer to an actual 5K.

I got my water and waited for Kim to finish and we got our results together. On our way out we grabbed a granola bar, and headed for the food and drink table. The guy at the table was *throwing* drinks at us! He was freezing and wanted to go home, too.

 

I am glad I ran the race, but disappointed in the directors. Most likely, this race will not be on my list next year, although one never knows! I ended up skipping the afternoon race, due to the sore arch!

 

 Sunday morning I woke up with a sore throat, and that ended race #3 for me. Grand plans washed away!

 

I am taking part in an amazing Holiday Loop Giveaway on Instagram! My prize is a $25 gift card to Amazon, and there are 13 other bloggers giving away $25-$50 for places like Lululemon, Athleta, Sephora, Target, iTunes, and more! Hop on over and enter them all! Good luck!

 

Have you ever run a race that was short?

Wordless Wednesday Christmas Tree Edition

Getting it ready. The towels are due to the Nor'Easter we bought our tree in. No exaggeration. Wet. Very wet.

Done!

Blurry, lights off pic.

Kids' tree. My mom calls it the bottle brush.

Cat wanting turkey soup. Why? Who cares! She's adorable. 

Walking around Philadelphia

Today we are in Philadelphia so the teenie can audition for college. :::::sniffsniff::::: 

The hubs and i planned to walk around while we waited but it's raining so we didn't do as much as planned!

Sucker for a bridge photo.

I love City Hall!

The ceiling in the Gersham Theatre.

Inside City Hall.

At FYE.

Macy's does a whole light show. For real. Everyone just sits and watches. It was insane.

I believe.

Omg the hubs bought me these. They are made for runner mamas with thick calves. Bonus!

Come in, and know me better man!

Almost there!

Okay Santa was like five. He was a good sport though. Beautiful suit! They didn't push the photo op either! Nice!

Have you been to see Santa yet?