Running faster. That’s my goal

So I really want to run faster and as usually happens, I just read this itty bitty article on exactly what I want to do.

Running Makeover: How Do I Get Faster For My Next Race

Then I read it and it’s like “to run faster, train harder”… Uh, I’m pretty sure I could have figured that bit out.    I’ve read a bunch of articles in magazines, emagazines, blogs, books and this and that.  I have ripped out 8 or 9 different Half Marathon training plans where one is pinned up on my cork board, another framed in the garage next to the treadmill, another on a clip on the magnetic white board, one in the suitcase I use for business travel and the rest in a folder in my desk drawer.  They all pretty much say the same thing.  I just have to get my head in the game and stop jerking around.  As inspiration for myself…and any of you readers – here’s some motivational images – sayings – whatever’s to get me to my goal.

This one’s just because HunBun thinks I’m becoming “one of those ladies” because I wore yoga pants on the plane to and from Florida for our recent vacation.

I ask you “does this really look bad?”.  My arms are actually not long enough for once – this photo angle is super awkward…and not just because I was in the middle of the Vegas airport during our lay over.

Are you inspired?  I am pretty sure I am….actually I KNOW I am.  HA!!

See ya later

Cathy

 

Disney World’s 2013 Princess Half Marathon recap

I should have just saved this until tomorrow then it would have been a 7 day anniversary of completing the race.  I didn’t get a PR…didn’t even stay close to my existing PR.  I even gained a minute from my pooty performance at the Tinkerbell Half this January.  BLEAH!  Guess I need some motivation –

You gotta love the creativity behind those eCards.  Not sure if I totally need to have the bloody knife – the clown alone would freak me enough to make my legs keep moving while my brain kept telling them to slow down.  I did get my Coast to Coast medal at the end, pretty dang cool.

I promised you all a photo montage of the race and our family trip to Florida – so here it is.  Enjoy – we sure did.  🙂

This was the first trip to Disneyworld for 13yo and 11yo.  Sometimes it was hard to figure out if they were having a good time or not.  Teen & Pre-teen boys are on their own communication wave length.  HunBun gets more out of 13yo than I can…11yo likes to talk about randomness all the time so I have the patience to figure my way through and out of conversations with him.  😀

13yo’s favorite park was Epcot.  He loved the countries and Living with the Land.  He wants to be a scientist of some sort when he grows up.  I keep reminding him that Disney has really cool intern opportunities, so maybe when he’s old enough he’ll get into Disney (so I can reap all the benefits of 13yo being a future employee – WHEEE!)

11yo’s favorite park was Animal Kingdom and Epcot too.  They both loved visiting all the countries – although we didn’t get to all of them even with being at the parks for 5 days.  Weird.

We spent a day and a half at the Magic Kingdom.  There is a lot of similarity between Disneyland in California and the MK in Florida.  We do like the Haunted Mansion better in MK – the entrance is super cool and we totally loved the Escher-esque stairwells.  We took the boys to the Hall of Presidents – HunBun and I think that’s a great “ride” that has a great place to wait when you’re trying to escape the parade crowds.

Yes.  That’s me and the 13yo at MK.  Sometimes I can’t even believe how tall he is.  I have to remind myself he’s still my baby.  🙂

It was a great mini-vacation for us.  If you go to Disney World be sure to download the Disney My Experience app for your phone or iPad (although I think lugging an iPad around would be annoying after a while).  It’s like a lot of apps where you can see ride wait times and places to eat – the bonus is that if you sign in you can make dining reservations.  It was really helpful since the first time we tried to eat in France (Epcot) we were told we needed a reservation – DOH!  So I used the app and got us a reservation for the next night, much to 13yo’s great satisfaction.

Anyhoo…that’s about it for our trip and my race.

See ya later…

Cathy

 

I’m back…. I hope

For real….

It’s been a while hasn’t it?  I could give you a whole bunch of blah blah blah about why I haven’t posted anything and it may be interesting to some – but would require me to actually stop & think about why I haven’t been posting.  To sum it up – I had a lot going on at work…We were getting ready for a family vacation to Florida so I could run at the Disney World Princess Half Marathon… Life was busy.

I have a whole bunch of photos I am going to post up from the trip we took.  It was a great time spent with the kids in Disney World.  Their first trip, my 3rd, HunBun’s 2nd.  The weather held out for us until the last day we were in the park – when it started raining in the afternoon while we were in the Magic Kingdom.  The rain didn’t last long nor was it very heavy but people sure whipped out their ponchos like they were going to melt.  Of course everyone in the family had hats on their heads except for me…so I just trudged through the drizzle.  Good think I wasn’t wearing a white shirt that day – HA!

Although I didn’t get my PR at this race I didn’t do too badly – and I still had fun.  It was nice to run in a different place this time and I will say I did have to adjust a bit to the heat & humidity.  The one thing nice about running in Florida was that I was not cold during the long wait for the start.  I did decide that I am going to get more serious about my training plans for these runs.  I have renewed my commitment to speed drills, tempo drills, fartleks and what ever else I read up on in the running magazines and blogs.  I’m also doing more about my approach to eating.  Although it is relatively healthy, I am going to expend more control over my snacking.  I love me some salty chips….so am going to explore the variety of flavors of homemade Kale chips and store bought crunchy nori sheets.

Anyhoo.  Got a lot of work emails to get through – only did about 1/2 yesterday and I got a lot of planning to get through for some organizational changes I’m instituting in my team (doesn’t that sound exciting? 🙂  )

One nice by product of our family trip to Florida?  12yo has been getting up at 6am – instead of his normal 640am…so he’s been on time to leave for school and I’ve not had to pester him to get a move on.  Sweet!

I’ll post those pictures up as a wordless montage…

See ya later

Cathy