My Active Adventures

Time for the annual goal setting post!  Let me start by saying that I am excited as hell about a new year!  Those of you that know me know that I don't do resolutions.  I don't believe in a spontaneous, vague idea of something you want to improve but put no plan or effort into.  No, I prefer goals.  Goals are solid, goals are well thought out, goals are planned, goals take work to achieve.  Often we hit these goals, sometimes we don't.  But at least we don't just forget about them.  No, we think them through before we set them.  We create plans with steps, then we work out butts off (sometimes literally) to achieve them, but we definitely don't just forget them.  Resolutions are a chance to once again fall short and feel bad; goals are an excuse to kick ass to the point people call you obsessed!  That's right, once again, no resolutions.  I'm excited as hell about my goals & plans!!  2013 is going to be awesome! ...

Well, it's now been 2 weeks since my last race of the year.  The last month & a half of 2012 are all about strength & speed, then 2013 will be all about the triathlon.  I've started my off-season training plan and started planning for the 2013 race season (which will look VERY different than 2012).  So far it's gone well.  I've committed to seeing how long I can carry on my exercise streak that started with my 21 Day Challenge.  I started on 11/4 and today marked 28 days.  The only rules are 30 minutes of exercise minimum per day and if I miss a day the streak is over (no doing a double to make up for it and continuing). On 11/19 I started the Javorek Dumbbell General Fitness 12 week weight training plan.  I'm now through the first two weeks and let me tell you, it's kicking my ass!!  I'm definitely hoping it produces results because it is definitely making me work very hard.  It's been nice being on weight training again. ...

Marathon Maniacs at the KC North Face Endurance Challenge 50k/Marathon The final race on my 2012 schedule had finally arrived.  I've worked hard this year, especially this fall.  I've documented in plenty of previous posts, but for those of you that have not been reading my blog up to this point I'll fill you in.  This would be the 7th race in 35 days; two 5k, one 8k, two marathons and two 50k.  I was exhausted mentally and physically as race day drew near.  i had my concerns about running 31 miles on pavement, especially with all of the races I've done leading up, but I was not going to let it intimidate me out of completing my goal.  My friend Erica Carper (fellow Trail Nerd/Mud Babe) decided we'd run it together since we have both been struggling a little lately.  We decided that the pain and anguish involved would be easier to handle together.  Also, our friend Mel (another Trail Nerd) lives right on the course so she decided she would me...

Alternate title: "A Tale Of Two Halves".  The first and second halves of this race couldn't have been more different!  Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though, you know by now that I have to give a back story first!  Last year the Pilgrim Pacer Marathon was the race that got me qualified for the Marathon Maniacs, so I was excited to have this be the first marathon I've ever run for a second time!  ( see last year's race report here )  It's been a tough lead up to this race, in the 28 days leading up to it I've run two 5k, one 8k, another marathon and a 50k.  One week after this I will have my last 50k of the year.  So that's a lot of racing, my body was feeling good as race day got here, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting a little mentally tired.  No time for that, I've got a marathon to run! One of the Marathon Maniac group pics Friday evening, the night before the race, I went over to packet pick up after getting of...

How quickly things can change!!  The tough day I had at the Kansas City Marathon I was getting a bit down.  How could I not be?  It was the first of two marathons & two 50ks in five weeks, so starting off with a race that didn't go well really had me worried about the GOATz 50k just one week later.  Of course I had high hopes that I would turns things around and have a good race, but in the back of my mind I was very worried that I would have a repeat performance of the issues I'd had just a week before.  I really hoped for a good day, I'd been looking forward to this event for quite some time.  My friends Ron & Bobbie Ruhs had told me fairly early this year about a new trail running club up where they live, the Greater Omaha Area Trail Runners (G.O.A.T.z).  I joined their Facebook group so that I could keep up with what they were doing and help support them.  Not long after, there came mention of a GOATz Trail Run 50k, but even better...