Third Half Marathon - in the books!

Well, I can now officially say I've run THREE half marathons! Yesterday was the annual Flying Pig Half Marathon here in Cincy and this was our 3rd time completing it together. Caleb has actually run it 4 times, he's a beast!

The morning of, we picked up my brother in law, Jared, and headed downtown. The weather report leading up to the big day was kind of scary and unpredictable. They kept saying to expect thunderstorms/lightning/rain all day. I'm so thankful to say it ended up being absolutely perfect. The sky was overcast all morning, so it wasn't too hot, and it stopped raining just in time for the race. It honestly couldn't have been better!

We got to the race just as it was beginning, so instead of getting to our designated corral, we sneaked through a side railing and jumped in an earlier one. Big mistake, these people were SPRINTING and we felt like we had to keep up since we jumped in. So the entire first mile we ran way too fast, which made us exhausted by mile 2-3. Luckily, Caleb is a good pace setter and insisted we slow down so we wouldn't die!

By about mile 4, I needed a quick break, which worked out perfectly because Caleb wanted to get rid of his jacket. It seems that every year I'm so surprised by the amount of hills in this half, even though I've done it twice before! Some of the hills are small, but most of them are huge. The views at the top are always worth it though...even when my calves are screaming.

Caleb and I both ran on and off the rest of the race, but we promised we'd stick together through it. His legs were cramping, and I had some annoying hip pain, but we encouraged each other and couldn't help but smile at all the amazing spectators the entire time. Seriously, I've never seen so many clever signs!!

One of my favorite parts of the course is passing a retirement home and seeing all these elderly men and women cheering us on - some of them had the best signs! It really makes you thankful to be able to get outside and enjoy a nice run. I was also encouraged by the multiple runners who carried heavy American flags - it made me pretty emotional!

After the most vicious hill of my life (my fitbit said I climbed almost "90 flights of stairs"), there was the sweetest group of Veterans singing in a choir. I mean!! How sweet?!?

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We were SO close. We spotted the mile 11 banner and ran the next mile or so without stopping. Once we got to mile 12, though, we felt like we needed a break to walk. At this point, we were just SO exhausted and so ready to see that "finish swine"!!

When we rounded the corner, we knew it was a straight shot to the finish line so we booked it until the end. I always get so emotional when I cross that finish line! Seeing everyone cheering, finally making it. Just gives me such a sense of accomplishment!! We definitely took a little longer to finish than last year, but we didn't really mind. I wasn't trying to PR in this race, I just wanted to cross another half off my list and enjoy it alongside my man! That medal is always worth it!

Once we got home we relaxed for just a couple hours, made sure to stretch out our muscles so they didn't tighten up too much, then headed out for a carb filled post-race meal! 

I'm not sure which half I'll run next, or if I'll run another one at all. I do like this distance, but I may want to switch it up. I haven't decided yet. Like I said last week, I'd really like to work on speed - and getting quick for 5K's, so we'll see!

It was so much fun crossing that finish line with Caleb, though. Accomplishing things in life together is one of my favorite things. It was fun to be each others constant source of encouragement throughout the race. I love that man! Hope everyone had a fun weekend!

Think about your 'why'

Last night Caleb and I went for a 3 mile run and it was basically the worst ever. Not going to lie, I almost cried. I could tell I was holding Caleb back, and he kept saying it was fine, yadda yadda yadda... but I hated that feeling. For some reason (& I know its because I didn't run at all last week) my legs felt like a ton of bricks and with every step my thighs burned worse and worse, which caused me to stop and 'catch my breath' a LOT more than normal.

I can usually last about a mile (again, getting back on the running wagon is hard) before needing to walk for a second, but we hardly made it three quarters of the way through our first mile before I was asking him to slow down, and then eventually stop. Bless Caleb's heart, he tried so hard to motivate me, and if I'm being totally honest it was kind of irritating in the moment ;) wife of the year, anyone? I truly just hated the jealousy I had for him. His speed, and more so his ability to keep going. He basically told me to get it together, find a good song to pump me up and to "think about my why". Uhh, hello..."what do you even mean!?!". He just started running faster and I had no choice but to push myself...

Well I'm really glad he did. We ended up finishing a 5k distance throughout our subdivision and while it felt like the worst thing ever, I'm so thankful he pushed me yesterday.

The duration of that run though, I continued thinking about what he said. What WAS my 'why'? Why was I pushing myself through the mental battle of running another mile when I truly just wanted to be at home relaxing on my couch?
During that last mile I think I found my answer. I'm running because I want to prove something to myself...that I can do hard things. I can train my body to endure more miles, I can become a better version of myself just through another mile or two. Not only become healthier physically, but spiritually as well.

Running brings me joy. Sometimes certainly not WHILE I'm running, but I generally feel more accomplished, and that certainly trickles down into other areas of my life as well. I want to be a better version of myself, all the time. More kind, more giving, more joyful...healthier, sillier and happier.

I feel like with running, there are good days and there are bad days...and then there are REALLY bad days, like yesterday. But that's kind of like our life, right? Some days are great, and others not so much. But we put on a good song, cry it out, move on, and get the job done. Because we CAN.

I'm thankful for the best training partner a gal could ask for. I truly am amazed at what we can push our bodies to do when we tell our minds we're up for the challenge. Whether that be a race, working a long weekend, or even simply making it to the grocery store with all your kids (I don't know how you mommas do it!!)...set yourself up to win this week!

The weather here in Cincinnati has been unreal lately. So much sunshine, light and breezy. I'm absolutely loving it! I even got a little red during our run, ouch! Who knew you could need sunscreen mid-March?

Happy hump day, friends!

Half Marathon, here I come {progress report}!

Sunday afternoon I ran. I FINALLY ran. It's been a LONG time, and now I remember how much I like to run, and why I like it so much (you know, when my legs don't feel like they are going to fall off). While my feet pace along the sidewalk, I don't think about the troubles of my day or the worries I have about the future. I feel optimistic about the stressful days we may have ahead, and that makes me want to run even more.

Caleb is the one who convinced me to get out there Sunday afternoon, and he went with me. I'm surprised he even convinced me, I just ate a big lunch and dropped Becky off at the airport, so I kind of just wanted to flop on the couch. BUT! We both knew we had to start training. Oh thats right, we've officially decided to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon again!! 

We're planning to run tonight after work, which will mark 4 days in a row now! I haven't felt this great in a long time. When I went to the Doctors last week, and saw the scale, it wasn't a great feeling. Trust me, I don't define myself by the number I see on that scale, but it was quite the wake up call that I cannot continue being lazy. Seriously, the only things that fit comfortably anymore are my socks.

Something about running just makes me feel more productive. When I try to be better in one aspect of my life, the rest just kind of flows more naturally. Just like when I read my Bible in the mornings. When I spend time with The Lord first thing, I just have a better perspective on the rest of my day. I'm happier, more optimistic and want to take better care of myself.

Last night, we spent our evening rushing around from running outside, to a church meeting, then to  go grocery shopping. We didn't make it home until nearly 9, but having good food that'll keep us on track throughout the week has become a priority to us.

We now have a little under 10 weeks until our half marathon, so I've got a long way to go! BUT! I'm dedicated to really training this time. I think it'll be great motivation for me and be something fun for Caleb and I to do together again.

How's your week going?

Contemplating another race...

Oh how proud I am of these few numbers on this little piece of paper!

Flash back to May, 2013. Erin picked me up and we headed Downtown to go see our husbands finish their first half marathon. Erin and I still laugh when we think about how rough we were looking that morning, but it really didn't matter, we were going to see our men cross that finish line and celebrate! That's what mattered!

We kind of got a little emotional watching them accomplish this huge victory and crossing that finish line! It was then that I decided that I wanted to have a moment like that one day. So the next year, we all geared up and decided to do it together. It.was.freaking.brutal.y'all!! BUT it's one of my favorite memories with our foursome and we loved it (even if I was slower than a group of turtles running through peanut butter)...

...it was slow, it was painful, but this beautiful medal and my sense of accomplishment made it ALL worth it!!

I had never experienced pain like I did those 72 hours after that first race It was really bad that entire evening following, so I basically grabbed everything from our freezer and covered my legs with them. In that moment I pretty much decided I'd never run again....

...so what's the only logical thing to do? Convince yourself it was worth it and run it again the next year! ;) I even cut over an hour off my time!

But the recovery from my second half was much worse, as I didn't train properly. My body just wasn't ready to go from practically nothing to running uphill for 7 miles straight. It was brutal and I could hardly walk for 3 weeks. So much so that I thought maybe I tore something. Luckily, it all felt normal again soon...but I convinced myself there was no way I'd ever run that particular race again. I even questioned if running was "for me". Since then, I haven't gotten as into running as I used to be. I think I started putting too much stress on myself that the thought of running just kind of annoyed me. The comparison game was another issue "I'm not fast enough", blah blah blah.

BUT!

I was so silly to think like that.

Running is for ANYONE who can get off the couch and make themselves endure it. Running is for anyone who puts one foot in front of the other, no matter how slow!

So...now I think I want to run the race again. 

I'm all over the place, I know. I think i'm going to take this week and really pray about the decision. I think it would be fun to run my third half marathon alongside my husband, again! I think it would be a fun challenge to beat my last race time and set a few goals for myself throughout the training process. PLUS it would be a fun excuse to whip out my favorite workout pants! ;)

What about you guys? Any fun exercise goals this year? Any races on your calendars?!

Flying Pig Half Marathon {2.0} Recap!!

It happened! Caleb and I ran our second half marathon together! I have to say I wasn't too nervous beforehand, which is strange, seeing as last year I had those crazy weird butterflies in my belly about 4 days prior all the way up until the start line! This year? I had trained much harder...probably not as much as I should've, but I was much more confident in my abilities this year!

I'll admit, when my 4:15 A.M. alarm went off I questioned why in the world I chose to run another one of these?! ;) I stuffed my face with a banana and some Belvita bar-type-deliciousness, and we headed out. We got down to our corral a LOT later than last year...mostly because the two gas stations we went to before we headed downtown had nearly broken down pumps and it wasn't even 5:00 A.M. yet.

When we finally arrived at the correct corral, we all decided to pee, again. You know, that "phantom pee" feeling, because you're just so excited and nervous to cross the start line and you know you haven't had anything to drink in over an hour so there's no way you could have to pee and so you sit in a disgusting porta-potty just to reassure yourself that you won't have to stop during the race (run on sentence much?). Then we took a selfie in front of the porta-potty because hey, why not? & yes, we unintentionally matched.

This year they had the corrals start a few minutes in between each other, but we really didn't notice since we stopped for a bathroom break before hand (and we were kinda late, like I said). We saw the start line, I kicked on my awesome playlist, and took off sprinting. Caleb immediately had to remind me that if I tried to run at that pace, I'd surely die soon ;) he's so awesome. He was definitely setting our pace the entire race, and I'm thankful for that. I just get too excited and want to take off, even though that's absurd!

Surprisingly, miles 1 through 5 were kind of a breeze. I honestly hadn't thought it would be this easy, we kept a pace of about 11-12 minutes/mile throughout this and I know that made all the difference (just like Caleb said). The sun was just beginning to rise as we crossed over one of the bridges, and it was SO gorgeous. I love that you cross into Kentucky, and back into Ohio in this race. The Flying Pig is a great course with some amazing views! I love seeing the city in a way I'm not used to! City skyline, cute coffee shops, the Ohio river, etc. I love my city, and it just motivates me to explore it more! I definitely recommend this course to my fellow half-runners!!

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When we hit mile 7, its pretty much ALL uphill for nearly 3 miles. I'm talking almost a straight incline, and I forgot how hard that was from last years race. Caleb and I did a good job of jogging most of it, but I'll admit, we walked a few minutes. I witnessed something insanely inspirational when I saw a woman probably about my age, strolling her disabled sister UP this monstrous hill...I couldn't even believe it, but I can't thank her enough because it was just the push I needed.

After those crazy hills were over, we had about a mile of straight downhill, which was so GLORIOUS. Then we get to mile 10-11 and guys... I. AM. DEAD. Seriously, I hit a wall. I kept having to slow down, catch my breath, drink a crap ton of water. I truly felt like the end was no where in sight. But - I had Caleb by my side. He encouraged me, listened to me, and most importantly? He pushed me like crazy! We were there for each other and that's just what we needed.

We FINALLY turned the corner after mile 12 and I could see the finish swine (hehe)! I wanted to sprint as fast as I could, but I knew I'd probably fall over from emotions and sheer joy that I could actually see the finish line now. Last year, I cried on my way to the end, and this year? Same story. The amount of spectators and cheering going on from total strangers is overwhelming. Everyone is so amazing and encouraging! We crossed that finish line hand in hand and I felt on top of the world. It's so amazing to me what our bodies will do when we push ourselves! We are capable of so much more than we believe at times.

I'm SO so thankful for this hunk for being by my side through that entire race!

I also haven't taken my eyes off my new finishers medal. I love it!

I do have to say, I missed running side by side with my Erin, but she was there in spirit. During our race we passed a local radio station and yelled her name for a shout out! "WE MISS YOU ERIN!" ;)

I'm extremely proud of us for finishing the race, and how much we pushed ourselves! We ran this one in 2:46, which for me? Is a huge accomplishment. I'm really, really proud of that. Woo! Maybe next year I'll break two and a half hours?! #agirlcandream

In other news, I'm experiencing some serious discomfort. Obviously, pretty much every muscle in my body is constantly on fire, but my right foot is actually in a lot of pain, and I can hardly walk on it. I won't be too concerned unless its like this in another week or so. I've been icing it like crazy at work so I'm hopeful that that will help. Send me some good vibes, friends!

Thanks for reading along!!!

A few pre half-marathon ramblings!

I'm less than 48 hours from my next half marathon, and somehow, I'm out of my mind excited. Ask me again right after, when I can hardly walk. It's kinda funny, last year I had hardly trained (idiot move #1) so I was in a lot of pain DURING and after the race for weeks. This year? I trained pretty hard, up until a few weeks ago, but I'm not very nervous at all. More anxious, I want to get to that starting line, enjoy the views, and finish hand in hand with my husband. That's my only goal; to cross that FINISH line, by his side. Since its Friday, and its been a LONG week, I can only muster random thoughts regarding the upcoming race/last years race.

-I was fumbling through photos from last years half marathon and came across a hilarious snapchat that I sent my sister in love. I can't help but laugh looking back - what else did I expect?!

-The fact that I have a running watch this year makes me THRILLED. You guys, I'll actually be able to KNOW what my pace is, DURING the race? Whaaat?! ;)

-Shoot. It hadn't crossed my mind until now that I don't have an arm band to hold my iPhone (it doubles as my ipod)...and Lord knows I'm not HOLDING that thing in my actual hand for hours on end. So now I'm frantically texting my husband asking if he has an extra, cause if not, that is my #1 goal for tonight! FIND ONE!

-We need to figure out what our carb-loaded meal will be indulging in tomorrow night. I'm leaning towards Olive Garden or PF Changs (haayyy gift cards). Rice is my love language.

-The forecast right now for our race morning begins in the low 50's and will easily rise into the 70's by 11AM. It's kind of perfect and I'm pumped about it. The fact that I won't need a jacket makes me thrilled. Nobody likes to run with something tied around their waist. Or is that just me?

-More than the forecast, I'm really excited for my new running leggings. So excited, that I think I've mentioned them about 4 times on this lil space of the internet that I call mine ;)

-Caleb is currently downtown picking up my packet, getting my bib/shirt, and scoring a ton of freebies from the Expo and I'm insanely jealous. I want nothing more than to ditch work and join in. Grabbing all the goodies that I can!!! Seriously, we get enough laundry detergent to last us a year!

Can't wait to take another photo like that this year! Yay!

Thanks for all the well wishes and have a GREAT weekend, everyone!!!

4 weeks fit challenge {my results!}

Here we are, finally! Linking up with Erin and Kristin today! 4 weeks after some of us set some goals -- its a time that's either really crummy to look back on because we didn't keep up with our goals, or really exciting cause we rocked the house on ALL of them! I'm here to tell you I'm a little bit in between, and you know what? I'm good with that.

I began the month insanely motivated, then a few things happened that slowed me down, but as of March 22nd, I've really kicked it into over drive. Something just "clicked" in me and I've worked really, really hard! I've run every day since, and for the most part, have eaten really clean! It feels amazing. So, lets go over my goals one by one.

Run 16 times

TOTAL WIN! I ran 16 times exactly. Some of those were as little as 2 miles, some were up to 7 miles... but I freaking did EVERY ONE OF THEM and it feels so good. You guys, I even woke up before work 4 days in the last week. Who am I turning into!? I'm pretty proud of myself. Sure, there were days I wanted to give up...but I pushed on. I finally started seeing some results this week, and that has me even MORE motivated than ever.

Lift weights

FAIL. Ha - yeah. We won't go into that one. I used to do this a lot but this month Caleb and I focused on running outside a lot with the new weather and it was awesome. So I'll be sure to focus more on that in April. I really want to be toned, and I truly think lifting helps my endurance during my long runs...so lets hope in April I can make a dent in this!

Run 3 miles in 30 minutes
HALF WIN! I ALMOST did this, by about a minute. So, I'm kinda giving it to myself - also because I ran 2 miles in 20 minutes a few times!

Stretch more
WIN! Woohoo! This was huge for me. I took a while after (and sometimes even before) each run to stretch my legs and calves, especially. My worst spots are always my shins, and the QL area above my rump... ha! Hey, we're being honest here. But this stretching has helped so much, I haven't had any pain. I'm praying for an injury free journey to my next half!

Some other exciting moments....
-Finding my nice Adidas dri-fit hoodie before an outdoor run
-Accomplishing the 7 miles straight was definitely my biggest milestone.
-Getting some adorable running pants for my half. I think that's going to be my thing - buying myself a crazy pair of running pants for every half or big race I run! It's true - you burn more calories in cute gear ;) sneak peek up above.
-Finally believing in myself. Knowing that I CAN do difficult things. My head gives up before my legs, so I've learned to push through.
-Finally learning how to properly use my watch and actually use it! Pumps me up!
-Finding more good music for my playlist.

I'm really not sure if I'm meant for distance running, I really would like to work on getting faster in shorter distances, but we'll see how I feel after this next half!  Sure, there were days I felt like doing NOTHING...and some days, I did just that. But the feeling I have after accomplishing a hard run, or even an easy one, just can't be beat. I finally feel like I've "found my groove" and hope that this link up has encouraged you guys like its encouraged me!!

Remember...

How was your month??

Pushing yo'self.

Last night, Caleb and I ran a few miles in the cold wind, and rain. Yes, RAIN. I looked at him during the run at one point like "we're not turning around yet?!" He said "that's what jackets are for!" and we pushed on. Once we were done, I realized it was a pretty quick couple miles and I was very excited. It made me realize I'm easily running over 2 miles with no problem. Even with the hills in our subdivision... I don't have to stop anymore!

I'm in week 8 of my half training and its gone pretty well. Although I missed my long run last Sunday, I'm doing quite well. This morning I even woke up before work to get my 4.5 miles in. Who am I turning into?! With every step I take, burning legs and all, I literally have to tell myself "Kayla, this is making you STRONGER...don't you dare give up"...and I've somehow been finding a way to go that extra 100 yards, that extra mile... and its making all the difference. I saw a neat quote on Pinterest and loved it; "Your legs are not giving out, your head is giving up. Now keep going!".

I've also been stalking stores for a cute running tank, I think its a known fact that you run harder in cute gear...so I should probably just go ahead and buy this, yeah?

My run last night also made me think about my list of fitness goals for this month, and while I won't meet all of them (sadly), I've made a LOT of progress, and I think that's something to be proud of. I don't always love running, but I sure do love the feeling of accomplishment it gives me. I'm finally understanding that there is no such thing as a 'bad run'. There's running, and then there's sitting on the couch...and I'm choosing to be active! It's not always easy, heck, most days I'd prefer to sit on the couch (with ice cream in hand) , but once that workout is done? I never ever regret it.

Next time I try and come up with an excuse not to workout -- I need to remind myself that its always worth it! I WILL crush this half marathon!!

Cheat nights rock.

I came home after work and it was obvious that Friday was going to be our 'cheat meal' night. Caleb was anxiously waiting for me to pick out which pizza I wanted...and I was way too excited about it. Of course I picked the one with the salted pretzel crust... it was amazing.

He also surprised me with a $4 sweater he found at the mall and it made me laugh because it was technically the first day of Spring and the sweater was all about Snow and Frozen, of all things. But it first perfect and is SO soft so I pretty much haven't taken it off :) we spent the evening at home playing silly video games and just relaxing. We truly needed a night off.

Early Saturday morning we hit up the library for the best dang used book sale you ever did see. We got to fill the largest bag for $5 (but we gave more since it was such a steal), and got nearly 40 books (they aren't all pictured). Maybe I'm an old soul but there is just something SO amazing about having a book in your hand...and actual book! I've made a lot of time for reading this weekend and I can't wait to keep it up.

 We made some yummy breakfast sandwiches and shortly after I headed out for a baby shower for Lyndsie's aunt. I'm really close with her family so it was great seeing all the ladies again, it had been a while. Lyndsie's mom is so creative and ordered the CUTEST cookies I've ever seen. Plus I got to squeeze my bestie!!

Sunday we had church, a maternity shoot, and an amazing run. I LOVE Sundays!!

We're absolutely soaking up the amazing weather + all this free time. I can't get enough. Also can't contain my excitement that Spring is finally here!!!
Did you do anything fun this weekend?

#progress

This weekend was full of so many amazing things, but one thing stood out to me the most. Yesterday, my training plan told me I had to run 5 miles. If i'm being honest, that was about the LAST thing I wanted to do, but Caleb pretty much made me get up and go to the gym with him.

I'm SO glad I did because I freaking RAN those 5 miles, like nobody's business. Sure, it was tough...but I was in my own world with my new running playlist and I kept telling myself there is NO reason I couldn't run one more mile. I got a good laugh thinking of a pin I saw a few days prior...

My goal is usually to run 10 minute miles, and while I know its not the fastest ever, its also not the slowest. I constantly have to remind myself that its not a competition with anyone. There is no sense in getting caught up in that silly she can run faster AND farther than me mentality. Cause you know what? I finished, & that is what matters.

I now have 8 full weeks until my half, and while I'm still pretty nervous...I'm crazy excited. If I could push myself to run 5 miles (which, before yesterday, I hadn't done since last May), I know I can hit more milestones as these weeks pass by. Kinda figured one week in would be a good chance to take a look at how I'm doing on my goals;

Run 16 times -- so far, I've run 4 times since the 1st of March, so I'd say I'm on track!

Run 3 miles in 30 minutes -- Not yet, but getting CLOSE!

Lift more weights -- haven't touched them this week. Good reminder to get back on it.

Stretch a lot -- I've spent at least 15 minutes after each run, and its helping a TON!

In addition to those goals, I've made sure to drink a TON of water each day. I've found that I drink a lot more when I have a straw. How is everyone else doing on their March goals (fitness or non-fitness related)??!

4 weeks fit challenge {my goals!}

My heart is quite happy today. Erin & Kristin have returned with their second annual link up called #4weeksfit and it really couldn't have come at a better time. The past two weeks weren't very easy, and totally screwed with my training plan. I've got just about 9 weeks left until my second half marathon and I need to kick some serious butt to prepare!! What's funny is when this linkup went live for the first time last year, I was only a week or two away from my first half marathon. We were so excited!!

Caleb and I // Erin and I

Okay where was I? Oh yeah, I've been super lazy. I'm just going to be 100% transparent here, cause its my blog, and I do what I want! ;) Since the holidays, I have gained 13 pounds. THIRTEEN!!!!! Can we talk about how sad that is? I've completely let the random free donuts in the office break room rule my life, and also neglected my duties at the gym most days.  While I know that I'm not "overweight", by any means... I'm highly uncomfortable in my own skin. I've never truly experienced what its like to hardly fit into the same work pants I've worn for nearly 3 years...until recently, and let me tell ya, its not pretty.

So, I'm here to declare my fitness- related goals for the month of March!

Run 16 times
This would average out to about 4x/week. I'm going to give myself bonus points if I can swing waking up before work to get my runs in...but I'm not going to count on it, cause most days? I love my sleep a little too much. Regardless, 16 miles is compatible with my training, so I think its a good number to stick with.

To run 3 miles under 30 minutes
I haven't done this in a very long time, and I know it would just make me THRILLED! I want to train my body that it CAN do whatever I push it to do. So, I'm hoping one day soon that I can hop on that treadmill (unless Spring decides to show up early and I can hit the real pavement!?) and knock out 3 miles in under 30 minutes! I think I'm getting there because yesterday I did 2.8 miles in 28 minutes! I seem to be on track.

Lift more weights
I haven't been in the weight section of the gym in a while. I miss it so much. I always felt like lifting helped my runs, as I was building lots of extra muscle. I can't wait to get back at it! Especially with my stud of a personal trainer (aka...my husband)

Stretch, a LOT
Last year I got a lot of pain in my "QL" area... (above the rump). It wasn't fun, and I honestly think its because I didn't properly stretch/ice my body throughout my training. I've been doing some intense yoga sessions via youtube here and there and have been loving them. In a love/hate type way!

Are you linking up? I can't wait to read everyone's challenges!!!!

The weekend is here!!!!!

It's FRIDAYYY! Tonight, Caleb and I finally get to have some quality time with my college roomie and her fiancé! We love them and can't wait to just spend the evening laughing our butts off!

Tomorrow we'll be wishing our friends, Reese + Renee, the happiest wedding day ever, from afar. We're really sad we can't make the trek up to Celina for it, but we'll be there in spirit! Renee and I met through Instagram, she emailed me around 4AM saying she had been reading my blog almost all night and the similarities between us were too great NOT to say hi! So we obviously became instant friends, but the night she and Reese drove to Cincinnati and we had sushi and talked for hours, I knew these were two amazing, genuine, God-loving people I needed in my life. Then in October, they volunteered to do some bridal shots of Caleb and I and when we showed up, Reese prepared nearly 17 slabs of ribs, and even watched an entire Bengals game (and he's a Buc's fan!).  Did I mention that's the first time they had met Caleb? We all felt like we'd known each other for years! These two are going to make my heart really sad when they move to Hawaii come May, but I know they will be SO successful in their business!

We can't wait to see all the photos from this day! Woohoo!

This was a good week for Caleb and I, no huge plans but lots and lots of editing was done. I may or may not have had a grilled cheese for dinner 3 times... #dontjudgeme

We fit in two solid runs and I'm proud of that. I wanted to run three times, but hey, that's life. I ran about 6 miles with those two runs and my new shoes are AMAZING. I can seriously tell a huge difference while I run. I feel less like I'm stomping and more like I'm running...that sounds odd but it makes sense in my head :) I'm really excited to continue progressing in my running. I can run 3 miles now without stopping...don't get me wrong, its still tough. BUT - I'm getting better!

HELP! Any of you have any nice stretching routines? That might sound silly but I think that's part of my problem. I don't stretch enough before/after a workout and I get really bad cramps in my legs/hips from time to time. I need that to stop!

I hope you all had a really great week! Enjoy your weekend!

After 4 weeks of no exercise...

Goodness. Going to the gym Tuesday night was honestly not what I wanted to do right after work. Work was a bit hectic, a consultation got cancelled due to unavailability, and I was just plain worn out. Then to top it off, I realized I left my headphones at home (since they weren't in my gym bag)...I made a choice though, and I was going to suck it up and make myself exercise...and I may or may not have stopped by the local TJ Maxx to buy a cheap pair of headphones to get me through...yes, it was necessary.

My goal was really only a mile or two of running, but I surprised myself by running just over 3 miles with little walking. You see, once I'm at the gym, already running, I'm good...its just getting there that's the hard part. But on that treadmill, I was reminded of a few things...

Pushing myself "just one more minute" is so rewarding. When the timer hit 29 minutes and I knew I only had 1 minute of my run left, I upped it by a minute, then another minute, then another minute. May not work for everyone, but it was like a fun challenge against myself. It totally worked and I was able to go further than usual. Ran for about 35 minutes total!

Running is SO therapeutic. I mean, after a ridiculously long day with a few problems, its nice to run your heart out to a crazy workout jam and feel pumped up. I truly feel so awesome once I'm finished with a hard workout...like I could do anything!

I was also reminded of how LONG it had been since I've consistently run... so to say I'm pretty sore today is an understatement, but it was totally worth it. I'm excited to be back in the game. It's about time!!! ;)

Today at work we're doing a service project for our community and I'm really excited about it. Not only are we helping a ton of people out, but we get to wear jeans, AND they asked me to take pictures. Woohoo! Combining both my professions? I could get used to this! Happy Thursday!!

When exercise gets put on the back burner.

Man, its been easy to be lazy lately. I've kind of had this whole "you work hard Kayla, you deserve to relax tonight" mentality.... but who am I kidding? The love handles have started talking, and right now they are telling my relaxed personality to shut up, lace up, and hit the pavement...oh, and to stop eating so many moon pies.

September was an insane month, and we finally got a free weekend last weekend. So you bet we took advantage of it. But I kind of forgot how much I LOVE working out. Caleb and I were on a great gym schedule for about 5 weeks before I got sick, and then he hurt his toe...so now that we're both better? It's time to GET GOIN!!

I know that TOMORROW starts the gorgeous month of October, but since Tracy's link up is today? I'm listing my workout goal right now!

Running
I typically do some kind of mileage goal, but I think instead I'm going to stick with my old goal of hitting the pavement 4 times a week. I think this is doable. If I HAD to put a number on it, I'd say I'd like to hit somewhere between 30-40 miles total.

Time
When I run outside alone (without Caleb), I have a hard time pacing myself. I tend to do about 10 minute miles. When I'm on a treadmill? I set it for a little over an 11 minute mile. However, I really want to work on getting a little faster and get a 9:30 minute mile.

Weights
I'm really excited to get back to weights again. I was making some serious improvements and finally seeing a new muscle in my arm...and I really hope I can get back in the groove. Being able to do one more set of something makes my heart SO happy.

What are YOUR workout goals for next month??

R-U-N.

I'm back!!! Caleb and I had an incredible vacation last week...and if you couldn't tell, we really needed it. Life was getting a little crazy, and he and I needed some time away like that. I immediately dove back into photography edits once we returned home, so I don't have any sort of "vacation recap" yet, but that's okay. Baby steps :)

One thing I'm SO happy about, though? I made time to run on vacation. Okay, it was only ONCE. But I got to finally use my new running watch (other than on the treadmill) and omg, I'm obsessed. It had been a good 3 weeks since I'd hit the pavement and thankfully I picked right up where I left off. I could only muster up about 2 miles, because the heat in South Carolina was KILLER that evening.

My only "July" goal for the remainder of this month?

RUN. That's it. I miss it so much. Honestly? June felt like I couldn't really keep my head above water, so needless to say I hardly made time for working out. I'm excited to get back in the gym, and run my little heart out. Not only run...but get back to the weight room.

I'm working on a new running playlist, and trying to incorporate music that makes me think positively, while still having fun. Caleb and I used to run to a ton of really fast rap with quick drum beats, but we left the gym feeling kinda negative from all the crap we listened to for hours. Enter Christian rapper, Andy Mineo. Seriously, dude's talented, and the lyrics to all of his songs are 100x better than the crap Lil Wayne raps about.

One step to a happier Kayla :) 

#4weeksfit results.

Happpyy Friday! So at the beginning of May, a ton of us vowed to try a "4 weeks fit" challenge. We made goals, knew we needed to work hard, and (hopefully!) tried our best to make them happen. I'm here to report that unfortunately no, not EVERY goal of mine was accomplished, but with my busy schedule, I sure did try. Lets go ahead and get the "bad news" over with first; what exactly didn't I accomplish?

Run 50 miles this month.

Sadly, this didn't happen. No excuses, I just didn't make the proper time for this like I should've. BUT, you know what I did do? Ran around 35... which is still a huge accomplishment in my book, so no...I don't count this goal as a failure.

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BUT, what DID I accomplish!?

Finish a half marathon.

Heck yes I did!! I traveled all 13.1 miles by foot. No, I didn't run the whole thing, and I sure as heck wasn't fast...but I finished, and that was my only goal for that race. My best friends and I finished HAND IN HAND, how many people can say that?! I'm so blessed to have that vivid, amazing, emotional memory.

Wake up before work 2x/week to exercise.

YES! I am happy to say I accomplished this. Although one or two times it wasn't a SUPER SWEATY workout, it was yoga or deep stretching! But OUCH, that stuff is not easy. I'm excited about getting back into the groove of waking up before the sun to get my day started off right. I have way more energy when I make time for it.

I've not done my absolute best this month...but I sure as heck tried. Here's to improvement, progress, and learning to love my flaws anyway. Bring it on, June (aka busiest month of my life...but no excuses!). How was your month!?