Hello friends!

I hope that your week is off to a great start.

Here is what my Monday night looked like…

I placed a meal in the crockpot so that when I got home, dinner would be served…well the meal completely burned.   No time saved there!

Instead, I made a couple of flounder fillets in the oven and placed them over a bed of veggies.  It was a very quick and tasty meal…thank goodness!!

I then frosted some lemon blueberry cupcakes for Kate, Brian’s mom, to take to a bridal shower that she is hosting today.

I then went to bed at 8:30pm!!! And it was glorious 🙂

This morning started off with a batch of leftover protein pancakes.  Yum!  I am so glad that batch made extra!

Now, let’s talk about running…

Last week, you may remember that Brian and I ran our second race together as our 4th of July tradition, the Firecracker 6 mile race.

Brian did amazing, especially considering that he didn’t complete very much training and finished in just under an hour with less than a 10 minute per mile pace!

Me and Running

This race was pretty significant for me, because I hit a personal best with my time (48 minutes on the dot!) averaging 8 minute miles.

Believe me, I was as shocked as ever to finish with this time, because I have never really considered myself a “runner.”  In middle school, I though it would be a good idea to join the cross-country team, but quickly cut that commitment short when I was literally the last one to complete the running trail and I landed a leading role in the school musical, “Oklahoma!”

Running was never something that came easy to me.  It is a challenge, and many times I have to repeat to myself in my head that it is ok to feel uncomfortable during a run.  Because of the challenge, I feel such a sense of accomplishment after each run, and I think that is what keeps me going.

In high school, we were required to run a little bit in cheerleading, and I hated every second of it.  I remember running one mile on the track outdoors, thinking that the one mile would never end.  One summer, I was involved in less activities than usual and wanted to stay in shape for cheerleading and show choir, so I laced up my shoes and found a little one mile loop to run.  I wasn’t on a regular running schedule by any means, but whenever I felt like it I would head out for a jog.

It wasn’t until college when I really started “working out” that I really started running, and even then, it wasn’t for a specific time, it wasn’t for speed, it was just to keep moving.  I remember coming home from my first year of college, and that day I had the itch in my legs and went on a 3 mile run, which to me then was like a marathon.  I decided that I wanted to sign up for my first 5k race!

I trained for that first race by completing a 3 mile loop in my neighborhood several times a week, and when it came to race day I completed the entire thing without stopping.  I was super tired at the end, but I did it!  And it felt good.  From that moment, races are what really got me going.  I love setting a goal and having something to work towards.

Now, although I have been running for several years now, I have never considered myself a runner.  I like to run, but I’m not a runner.  That was the mentality I had, and although I had several friends that also loved to run, I was always too intimidated to ever ask them to join me.

Slowly, but surely I have gained my running confidence through completing two 6 mile races, a couple of 5ks, and a half marathon, but this 4th of July race truly did it for me.

Obtaining a pace of 8 minutes on the dot in over 90 degree weather was the little kick in the pants that I needed in order to truly believe in myself.  I am so happy to have reached this PR, and I can’t wait to conquer the next challenge and continue to improve.  Although I don’t feel that I am any faster, or run any better, or any different…I now feel ok to ask some of my “running” friends if they want to go for a jog with me!  What a great feeling!!

The day after the race, I was teaching my cardio intervals class.  We were all chatting about what we did on our mid week break for the 4th of July and when I told them about my race one woman (who IS a runner) exclaimed, “You can REALLY call yourself a runner now!”…that is truly what got me thinking and inspired me to write this post.  So, while I never really considered myself a runner…maybe a should!  Honestly, it doesn’t matter the time, it doesn’t matter the distance.  What matters is the heart, and if running is something that you do because you find enjoyment out of it, you like the challenge,  or whatever…you can call yourself a runner too!

What are some of your personal fitness accomplishments??

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  1. I totally just went for a jog. Averaged around 8 minutes per mile too 😀 and that was with a really tight hamstring I didn’t know I had before I started… need to do something about that before football tomorrow… sorry, soccer…

    • Great job!!! Tight hamstrings can be absolutely killer, so good job for pushing through…stretching and foam rolling always work for me when my hamstrings are tight!

      • I have no idea what foam rolling is, but I definitely and painfully pulled my quad last night – so painful, it goes well with the tendinitis in my left shoulder, haha!

        • Let me tell you, search on my search bar about foam rolling…I wrote a how-to post on it, and it will really help with that quad pain you have!!!

  2. If you run, you are a runner. It’s says so in the dictonary. 🙂

    run·ner   [ruhn-er]
    noun
    1. a person, animal, or thing that runs, especially as a racer.

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