I'm back

After two weeks of no running, one week of barely running, I'm finally back!!!!!

Nd I can say that with certainty because the second thought I had today after waking up half hour before my alarm was, "I could do a sort run on the treadmill..."

I think I needed those two weeks off. This is the first time in a very long time I wanted to run for the sake of running.

I don't have any races planned yet, but at least I seem to have found my running mojo again! And that's a huge win.

Base Life

I've been here for two weeks now. I keep thinking things will settle down, slow down, but nope! 

I forgot how busy life is when I actually have a social life!

I've been exploring the base, trying to find a good running route. Maybe by thanksgiving I will have figured out a 5k path. The one in the picture is just a small piece around part of housing.

The craziness continues tomorrow- I start a full time job at a local quilt shop. 

The Husbeast is on casual status until January, then does IFS, then will start UPT in April.

I have a feeling our time here is going to fly by- no pun intended!

Have you ever lived on a military base? So far, I love it! 

Any tips for juggling full time work with running? I have a feeling I'm going to need some night running accessories like lights and such.

Welcome to Oklahoma!

First round of fun in Oklahoma- PBR Pro Tour!!!!!!

We had great seats... VIP section! 

So close, I got dirt thrown on my several times, and the lady in front of us got a little something special. gross.

Talk about up close and personal.

Not a single picture came out well, though, because those bulls move so quickly!

We had a great time. Ignore the bags under my eyes; my body had not adjusted to falling back for DST before it had to fall back again by moving to another time zone.

Ever go so a bull riding event?

Did you know...

That Forever 21 sells athletic apparel? I did not! 

I was at the mall for one last shopping trip before the move to OK and spotted these: 

Aren't they cute? I will let you know how they work out tomorrow!

I also snagged a good deal on these from kohl's:

With two crazy new pairs of tights, I will surely stand out once I start running around Oklahoma!

Crazy tights: love them or hate them?  Obviously, I love them. 

How's the weather where you are? With tights like these, I don't mind that it's getting colder!!!

Hills

Kentucky hills have been destroying my legs, so today's run called for my favorite compression socks. 

And, since I wore my favorite socks, I wore my favorite shoes, headband, and race shirt. It's the little things that make constant inclines and declines more fun.

But then this happened- I took my sunglasses off and they broke! 

And then, when I was loading some stuff into my trunk, THIS happened!

Thank goodness I have a spare, so all is well now.

8 days until the move to Oklahoma!!!!!

Ever lock your keys in your car in a strange way?

Favorite piece of running gear that makes any run better? Gotta be my Halloween ProCompression socks. Confession: I wear them year round! 

Sanity saver

The past two weeks have been crazy.

The Husbeast graduated from OTS, so I spent 4 days in Alabama.

Then, two days after getting back to my temporary Kentucky home, I had to drive back to Northhern Indiana to supervise the packing/moving of our stuff. It was chaotic, starting with the movers changing dates when I had already arrived, then arriving late, and then finishing later than predicted. Let's just say I am glad it's over.

I stayed sane by sitting on a box and stitching while the movers loaded stuff.

The worst part? Our tempurpedic mattress and box springs were stored in the basement.... And got covered in mold. RUINED. I nearly cried.

Today, I am happy to be back in Kentucky for about two weeks before finally moving to Oklahoma!!!!

These two are happy I'm home, too. And they are exhausted from their runs this morning. Prudence went for a hilly mile, and then I took Matt for what I thought would be another mile... Except we got lost, so it turned into 2.4 miles. Oops.

And with that, I am going to relax. I am exhausted from everything going on!

Ever get lost on a run?

Moving, moving, and more moving

So, I'm temporarily living in Kentucky. 

Mom sold her house, and since I'm staying with her while the Husbeast is in OTS, that means I moved with her.

And will be moving again in Novemebr. 

But before that I have to go back to northern IN to watch the military movers unpack, inventory, and repack our stuff.

Yeah.

Exactly, Matty. That's exactly how I feel about it.

Do you love or hate moving? I'm excited to reunite with the Husbeast in a home of our own again, but not looking forward to two days of six hour drives, and then the fourteen hour drive to Oklahoma. With dogs. 

What happens when you hate a product you're supposed to review

Today was the publish date for a product review. And here I am, not reviewing it.

Why? 

Because it just wasn't a hit. Like, I nearly vomited, and even though my family physician wanted me to eat small amounts of nuts, I had an allergic reaction. So yeah. I learned that my allergies are not as controlled as my doctor had hoped, and the texture of puréed coconut and almonds makes me want to retch.

Thankfully, I contacted the necessary people, explained it was, um, less than stellar, and was let off the hook. Phew.

So instead of a product review, let me tell you this!

(Why do I look so sallow??? I swear I have a functioning liver... at least, I think I do!)

Today is day 102 of my run streak!!!!

(Why do I look so sallow??? I swear I have a functioning liver... at least, I think I do!)

I gave myself permission to end it after 100, but it's still going. We shall see how long it lasts!

Ever receive a product for review that was just awful? Worse, ever buy something and hate it? Besides the unpublished review, I once bought a Kind bar and took one nibble before tossing it in the trash. Some of you might call that blasphemy, but I can't stand them. I also tried to like SoyJoy a few years ago, and failed, so I was kind of happy to hear too much soy can be bad for you.

What is your favorite bar- protein or granola? 

Ever do a run streak?

A story about sucking it up.

Today was the Blueberry Stomp 15k.

I had not trained for this beyond a single 7 mile run since May.

It was hot. Humid. And definitely not flat.

And all I wanted to do was stay in bed at 5:30 am. Or choose 5k instead of 15k once I was signing up this morning. Or turn with the 5k runners when they split off during the race. Or ask the volunteer for a ride back to the start when I was halfway through. 

But I did none of that. 

I sucked it up and ran. I walked when I was too dizzy, but still managed a 9:40 pace overall with my 1:30:58 finish.

I finished. 

That's all that mattered today.

And then we changed out of our wringable, sweat-soaked shirts and walked around the blueberry festival. Friends make sucky runs much more bearable (she smoked it today with her new PR of 1:23:xx!).

Best run lately?

Worst run? Hey, humidity, I'm over it.

Four week shape up- the results

Remember the   4 Week Shape Up Plan ? are the results, in all their bathroom photo glory!!! Don't mind my face; I clearly love taking these photos. *why is there no sarcasm font?*

START:

HALFWAY:

END:

I'm not sure if there is much of a visible, difference in these photos, but check this out- Saturday, I slipped on my favorite pair of cycling shorts before Bloom and Zoom 40 mile ride... And they were loose around the leg opening!

Don't mind Turd Ferguson, the photo-bombing basset hound. She was pouting because she could tell I was about to leave without her.

See that? The gripper isn't snug. What?!? While the fullest part of my thighs showed no change in inches, there must have been some shrinkage there. 

Unfortunately, this meant my shorts were annoying and sliding around for 42 miles, but oh well. No sausage legs. Worth it.

Overall, most measurements remained the same- waist, calves, thighs were unchanged- but I did gain a quarter inch around my biceps- and I'm totally ok with that, since I was able to help my brother load a 400 lb iron saw table into a moving truck over the weekend. He actually called me a beast. All little sisters know the pride I felt getting that kind of praise from my big brother!

Angelena has plenty to offer here. Go check it out! As I said last time, she knows here stuff. The plan is thorough and easy to follow, complete with checklists and progress tracking. Having a place to record the workouts makes it easier to keep going during that third week- seeing progress keeps me going!

Overall, I enjoyed this   4 Week Shape Up Plan. The strength parts took 30-45 minutes to complete, and since I've been run streaking, adding cardio after that was no big deal.

I plan on continuing the workouts, as evidenced by my planner- I even made stickers for each of the days:

LOVE my planner. Want your own? Sign up for a $10 coupon here!

I love how I was able to change the order of the workouts to fit my needs. Since I was recently talked into running a 15k on Labor Day, I've been trying to get a few long runs done on weekends, so I moved leg day to the beginning of the week.

My only complaint about the program is the lack of core work. I stuck to the plan, but I wanted to do more core work than just one day. Going forward, I will probably add some of my favorite and least favorite core exercises at the beginning of each workout, more like i was doing last spring before the moving/life chaos began.

Thanks, Angelena, for giving me an opportunity to try your program! The   4 Week Shape Up Plan is easy to follow, and a great bargain at only $10. It's practically a book, full of everything you need to follow a plan to a better version of You. It's completely customizable, and if you have the drive to do the work, results will come.

The true test is going to come in October. If I can keep up with staying in shape, will my husband notice any changes when we finally see each other again??? I'll keep you posted!

It's here!!!!!!

My Erin Condren life planner arrived!!!!! And it's perfect. I love this cover- but they are interchangeable, which made it easier to pick just one when I ordered, since I know I can get another later if I want. :)

So pretty... And I've already begun to personalize my weekly spreads.

Here's a normal week before it gets written in:

And here's a week in all it's decorated glory:

Somehow, having my to-do lists and chores written in a pretty planner and decorated with stickers makes it more fun to do them. Plus, it's a lot harder to skip workouts when I wrote them in pen in my planner.

Love, love, love it. It took a long time to get here (most orders take 2-3 weeks to get printed), but it was worth it.

I love being able to write the week's dinners along the bottom, make lists for the days I have things to do, and then decorate the crap out of it ally this week's theme was easy to pick- SHARK WEEK!!!!! 

Next week, I just went with bright colors: 

So fun. 

The good news? I have a referral link to share! Use this link

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/kaseypotts1116-8427

to create a new account, and you will get a coupon for $10 off. Pretty sweet, huh?

This planner is going to keep me organized through the next 17 months- 3 moves, 2 PCS, and who knows what else. 

Do you use a planner? I used to look forward to getting a new one every year for back to school. I LOVED picking out a planner. I'm so glad I found one to use as an adult!

How do you track workouts/meal planning? I might actually stick to a training plan since I can write it all in here! And no more losing the grocery list that contains the week's meal plan. :)

Sketchy

Posts are about to become less-frequent around here. Towards the end of the month, if you don't hear from me, there is no need to worry. I will be moving sometime at the beginning of September, and it's already becoming the biggest time suck since I'm helping my mom move- I just happen to be going along for the ride.

And then I will move again sometime in October. Awesome.

I'm still trying to do some yoga:

And running, rain or shine:

And Prudence has the best idea- just relax. 

Being a single dog parent.

I'm home alone with all three dogs. The Husbeast is off to OTS, and Mom is house hunting (hooray for that- no one wants to be homeless!) so I've been stuck as the sole pack leader. Most of the time, it's great.

Except last night. Turd Ferguson, the basset hound, decided she would not rest until I let her in my bed. She's my mom's dog, and yes, she sleeps under the covers with my mom. 

I, however, am a bitch. I let her whine and bang her head on the door for over an hour. She was like a stubby-legged battering ram as she attempted to jostle the door open. No luck, though. When I was no longer amused by her determination, I put the baby gate up outside the short hall so she could no longer knock. Told you I'm a bitch. I love dogs, but my sleep is precious to me. And Fergie is a dirty little turd who likes to roll in raccoon poo. NO WAY she will ever get in my bed. 

Thank goodness this one is a honey badger. 

She just wallows in the couch pillows and doesn't care.

And then there's this guy. Currently, he is eating his feelings- crazy baby has eaten twice as much as normal, probably because he misses the Husbeast.

And when he's not eating, he's following me everywhere.

Even stretching.

I love all three, but when two of them are needy little sad sacks, Prudence has no fear of losing her status as the favorite.

Dog person? Cat person? Animal-hating sad sack? I'm sorry, we can't be friends if you hate animals.

Even when I complain about the needy little beasties, I love them all. But I'm glad my mom will be home Thursday so Turd Ferguson will leave me alone at night!!!

Pie.

Check out that calendar- filling up fast! (Hurry up and get here, planner!)

Life is getting crazy. It looks like I will be moving in September- Mom sold her house. So, as long as the buyer isn't deterred by the one plumbing repair needed per the home inspection, I will be moving with my mother to South Carolina.

Did I mention my husband leaves this Sunday for Officer Training? Because he does.

Life is getting crazy.

So I made him a blueberry pie.

And it was delicious.

On a scale of one to ten, how crazy is you life right now? I'd call this a five. It's chaos, but a level I can still handle.

Pie. Yes? Of course.

Shape up!

One of my fellow Sweat Pink Ambassadors, Angelena, asked for guinea pigs to test her 4 Week Shape Up Plan. The timing is impeccable- I had that very day decided to make a plan to get back on track. So, last Monday, I started following the plan.

You get an instant PDF download (26 pages! It's a small ebook!) complete with food guidelines and six different workouts. Three of them are circuits. Each one has sheets to track how many reps and what weights were used.

The circuits are easy to do at home- bonus since I don't have access to a gym!  All you need are some free weights, a resistance band, and an exercise ball is a bonus.

So far, I have loved it. Easy to follow, takes only 30-45 minutes most days, and when life got in the way on Friday, I simply switched workouts around so I still hit every workout.

As of today, I have completed the first week plus started week 2. I can tell you I was definitely sore after each day. The good kind of sore- the kind that tells you, "You did some WORK. Way to go, you little beast, you!" Or maybe that's just how I hear my muscles when my arms are so tired after a workout they shake cutting a zucchini.

I'm enjoying the 4 week Shap Up Plan If you're curious, go check it out. I'll share some before and afters in three weeks when it's all over!

WINNERS!!!!

Without further ado, here are the WINNERS to the Tour de France Challenge!

The itunes giftcard goes to KIMBERLY TRUESDELL!!!!!!!

And the bracelet goes to CHRISTINA SPINDLER BERTA!!!!!!


Winners have been contacted via email. If I do not hear back within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn (that means you have until 7 am on Wednesday, July 30 to reply).

Thanks to all who participated. I did not ride as much as I'd hoped due to weather and life, but I love having extra motivation. Shout out to my Husbeast- he rode 15 miles over the last three weeks on his unicycle. The man has skills.

One final note about giveaways: Please do not lie. Rafflecopter has it set up so it is relatively simple to check entries. So if you say you left a blog comment, you better have left a blog comment. If you say you follow a blog, you better follow a blog. If you say you follow on Twitter, you better still be following on twitter when the giveaway ends. Because I verified each winner, and sadly had to disqualify 2 people who claimed they did things that they clearly did not do.

Heat and eats

It was hot today. Hot, hot, hot! I did a short bike ride (20 minutes of intervals) and a short run (15 minutes of fartleks) at 11 am... Because I'm apparently a glutton for punishment. 

Thank goodness I had my Nuun!

And, when I got home, I had some melon:

Have you ever seen a Lemon Drop melon??? I got it at Aldi. It is sooooo good! Lemony-melony deliciousness. It tastes great after a hot workout!

It seems I had a lemony theme today.

How hot did it get where you are? I heard it got to 91 here. It sure felt hot compared to the cool spells we've had.

Melon: yes or no? Watermelon is a yes. Others depend on my mood, and level of hunger- if I get hungry enough, I eat anything and everything!

Parade 5000

How did I not know there was a parade at the county fair? And that they have a 5k immediately beforehand on the parade route???

Thankfully, I found this out from a friend in time to sign up. The Parade 5000 is held right before the parade, so that meant a 1:30 start time. In July. So it was hot.

After last weekend's heat exhaustion, I was not going to let that happen again. I spent the wait before the race eating ice, holding ice to help chill my circulatory system, and even stuck some down my bra. Hey, whatever works to stay cool.

I started the run slower than most (which was good, given the heat!). I still pulled off a 7:33 mile. By halfway, I had slowed- I took two cups (only sipped once- dumped the rest on myself) and walked through the water stop halfway through, then walked through the three hoses some kind bystanders had. Second mile was 8 something, as was the third.... But I didn't care.

There were great crowds the whole way along the parade route which continued once we got on fair grounds. The race ended with a lap of the dirt track, finishing in front of the grandstand- that was pretty cool, too, especially since I could hear my mom yelling for me.

I finished in 24:33. That's the slowest this summer, but also the hottest race day. And I was not racing today; I was running for the sake of running. Sometimes, it is nice to take a break and enjoy a group run like that.

I was a little surprised to see I placed in my age group! 

Afterwards, my mom and I walked around and had some fair food- fried cheese curds and an elephant ear for me, while mom had pie.

I was glad to have the race shirt to wear since my tank was soaked, but it didn't exactly stay clean!

This was a fun event. Hot, but the parade crowd was awesome. I wish there had been food at the end, but at least being at the fair meant we could go find stuff.

Have you ever run a race that didn't start in the morning? This is only the second time I've ran a race that wasn't in the morning. The other one was at 5pm.

Does your county have a big fair? Elkhart has a huge fair. Miami county, where we lived the last three years, didn't. I'm glad I had one more chance to go to the Elkhart County 4H fair before we leave the state.

On "failure"

At the beginning of the year, I set several goals. They included a new half marathon PR by May 3, walking on my hands by the end of the year, and running 1000 miles this year.

I even made them public on Fellow Flower's Declare It Day facebook event back in February.

And then life happened. The winter from hell. Moving the day before the best bet at a PR. Shoulder soreness, twisted wrist, bicycle crashes that left my whole arm annoyed.

Meh. No new PR, not even with adding another half at the end of May. 

Instead, I did my first triathlon:

1000 miles on foot is no longer doable. I might reach it when I combine running and biking, though. 

And while I still have a few months left to work on walking on my hands, I'm ok if it doesn't happen.

Because these were arbitrary goals. Random things that would give me something to work towards during this year of chaos.

They do not define me.

This year is all about adapting to change. I have some more adventures planned- like my first group bike ride- but most of this year still can't be planned.

Today, another curveball: mom's house sold. Which means I will be moving again in about six weeks. To where, I don't know yet. For my sanity, I hope to know that sooner than later. 

So, today, I bought the damn planner. There is so much I cannot control this year, but once the damn planner arrives, I can at least make life look prettier with strips of washi tape and colorful sharpies.

Confess: how are your goals coming from the beginning of the year?

Three things Thursday- hot commodities and cool temps

1. Yesterday I stood in line for 70 minutes for this:

An Italian sausage sandwich. So good. Mind you, it's 3/4 eaten before I could pause to take a photo. A local pizza place makes this, and it is only available for 2 days of the year due to the labor involved. Every year, the line forms during Sausage Days, and people wait anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours... And they always sell out. I bought ten. Yes, ten. I knew I might not be able to wait today, and since two were being delivered to one of the Hisbeast's coworkers, we needed at least that many.

Thank goodness I did, since my whole day was eaten by my mom's eye appointment and minor surgery. Family is worth it.... But missing the second day of sausage days truly tests that!

2. What the heck? It was 45 degrees F when I ran this morning. WHAT THE HECK?

3. How is it I had heat exhaustion on Saturday, but wore long pants and long sleeves three days this week? Oh, yeah. I live in Indiana.

Any crazy weather near you?

Does your town have any foods that people wait 2+ hours? Sausage sandwiches make people crazy. Next week, though, lines will be crazy at the fair for the bunny burgers. I do not eat those, but my Husbeast does.

Smile, tomorrow is Friday!!!