Saying Goodbye

Well, this is it. My last post on itsamessylife.com. It’s been almost 6 years of posting about fitness, running, obstacle races, family life, summer bucket lists, trying to stay motivated, and such! I’m feeling a bit nostalgic revisiting some of my old posts! They have me missing that super motivated and dedicated person who started this blog about her fitness journey. Seriously, I could really use her right now to get me back to feeling motivated and on the healthy eating train and if I’m being totally honest, weight loss! But, this isn’t a post about regrets, it’s about moving forward and letting go when the time seems right.

This blog has helped me, not only document my life for the past 6 years, but it’s also helped me stay accountable and motived in my goals. So, why am I ending the blog? Because it was helpful, until it wasn’t. I can’t exactly pin point or show you when and where or even tell you why. It just stopped being fun, it stopped being a place for me to escape and share my ups and downs and became a chore. I began to stress about content and what I could or should be writing about. I started feeling bad about myself because I wasn’t as motivated as I was when I started the blog. My posts became sporadic and half-hearted. Once something that used to bring you joy is no longer doing so, it’s time to let it go. I’ve struggled with this for the past year, but finally decided it was the right thing to do.

I’m super excited about publishing the blog posts in book format using https://www.blog2print.com/, after all it is 6 years of my life! I’m so proud of having kept this blog as a way to help me and others stay motivated in fitness, running, healthy eating, and family life! I’m looking forward to looking back and reminiscing on family vacations, our summer bucket lists, and race recaps.

I also hope it will also remind me of all I am capable and continue to motivate me to not be afraid to do hard things. More than anything I want this blog to show my kids that life has it’s ups and downs, that I am not perfect, but that I also never gave up. I want them to see this as not just a phase but a complete change for the better. I hope it motivates them to pursue their goals and dreams too!

I may be asking a lot of a little blog book, but why not, right? That’s what it’s always been about! Not being afraid to keep moving forward and doing what others may think is silly or impossible.

However, my blogging days are not over! Before I started It’s a Messy Life, I would blog about family life and how I was feeling over on my wedding photography business blog. So, if you’re interested in seeing our summer bucket list for 2019 and getting periodic updates on all aspects of life, including race recaps, family vacations, and random ramblings, I suggest you check out that blog: http://www.theemerics.com/blog You’ll also get to see lots of pretty wedding photos, so it’s a win-win! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog and for following along all these years! XO

Race Recap: Revel Marathon | Big Bear

On October 14th I ran my 2nd marathon. I said I would never run another marathon after the LA Marathon in 2016 because it was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. But, I don’t think anyone believed me. So, this summer while training with my son for his first half marathon, Cedar City Half Marathon, I caught the bug to run another marathon. Mostly, because I felt that my time was so slow, I had to beat it. I decided I’d sign up for a fast downhill marathon and I would be almost guaranteed to finish faster than LA! The good news, I did! I beat my time by almost a full hour! The bad news, marathons are still hard.

Look at all these goodies that came in my swag bag!!

Big Bear was my first Revel Race Series race and I gotta tell you, they put on a great event! I had volunteered at packet pickup last year for the Mount Charleston race here in Las Vegas and felt they did a great job with the expo here and I think the expo for Big Bear was also excellent. Everything went smoothly, the volunteers were friendly, and I loved their free photo booth and photo ops! When we got to our hotel room, I went through my bag and I was super impressed with the swag. I really liked that they provided a space blanket and even some gloves since the start line was going to be cold! They also had all kinds of other goodies and coupons!

I had listened to Coach Paul’s videos on their facebook page and those videos were awesome. Coach Paul is the online training coach for Revel Races and he gave a lot of really good and useful information about downhill running, what to expect from the course, nutrition, etc. I highly recommend checking out those videos!

On race morning the weather was perfect for running! Cool and overcast most of the way. The course was as expected, thanks again to Coach Paul’s video! At the expo, I grabbed a pace band and was really impressed that it wasn’t a generic bracelet, but rather the pace was calculated by the actual course. So, the sections towards the beginning of the race that were uphill and had rolling hills were accounted for and the downhill parts too. Now, this is the first time I had used one of these bracelets, so I honestly don’t know if that’s the norm or not, but like I said, I was impressed! I can also say that it was really helpful to me! Thanks to the hubs for insisting I check them out!

Most of the course was beautiful and although I was nervous about there being no spectators cheering us on from the sidelines, I don’t think it affected me too much. I had my curated playlist to help me along and the volunteers at the aid stations were all cheerful and friendly, so that helped too! The first 9 miles were pretty hilly (as expected) and not the fast downhill start I was used to from my training. I stuck to my pace band times and was pretty on track until I had to use the lovely port-a-potty so that was 3 minutes I lost. I tried to make them up and by mile 13 I was back on track. This was also when the course started to get “faster” and downhill! I don’t know if I pushed too hard trying to regain those 3 minutes or what but by mile 18, I started to lose my momentum. By mile 22 I was really struggling! I tried to pull it together and find some inner strength but there just wasn’t much there! I was grateful to my playlist for keeping me going, but it didn’t stop the tears from coming! What is it with me and crying during a marathon!?! Tell me I’m not alone! I managed to pull myself together and thanks to a few friendly runners who cheered me on and the spectators once I reached the finish line area, I finished strong. Or as strong as possible and I even managed to not cry again when I got my medal and saw Jason at the finish line! I came close, though!

One thing I didn’t like about the race was that once we got into the town, the drivers were not too careful of us runners! Although we kept to the right of the cones on the street, some cars still drove on the side that was for us and came super close! We mostly ended up running behind each other on the shoulder to not risk getting run over! No pun intended! I know the race directors can’t control the drivers, so I can’t fault the race itself for that. The town was not scenic either and this is is the end of the race so I could have really used some nice distractions, since I was beat!

All in all, I would recommend this race or any of the Revel Races to anyone looking for a downhill marathon or half marathon course. It’s not a huge race event, like the Rock n Roll events, but it’s not a small bare bones event either. Personally, I think it’s just the right size! You get great support on course, have a fun finish line festival area with music, beer, pizza, and donuts, FREE race photos, and even a video slideshow for you to share on social media!! I’m looking forward to adding another Revel Race to my calendar for 2019, but most likely it will be a half marathon 🙂

Race Recap: Cedar City Half Marathon

Oh hey! It’s only taken me a month to jump back on the blog and share how our race actually went! My bad! It took me a while to figure out how I would approach this one. Since I was super open and honest in my last post about what it was like running and training my 13 year old son, I figured I’d keep it open and honest here too.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect on race day. I didn’t want to have high expectations of what running a half marathon with my son would be like. I didn’t want to dream of bonding while on the course and such! I just wanted him to finish and most importantly, to enjoy the race. I’ve been running races, mostly half marathons for about 5 years now and my family travels with me pretty often, so they know about packet pick up, early morning start times, banana for breakfast, long lines for port-a-potties, etc. But it was still pretty cool to actually be experiencing these routine and normal pre-race activities with my son and seeing his reaction to them for the first time as a runner. EEK! I just called him a runner 🙂

We’d been training together all summer, so running alongside him was nothing new, yet it still felt like a completely new experience anyhow. I couldn’t help but smile when I thought that we were finally doing it. After all those months of training together and the ups and downs, we were finally running Cedar City Half Marathon together. It was pretty cool to think about and really made it a special race for me!

I could not have been happier with our experience. Diego pushed hard and enjoyed most of the race. Unfortunately, his phone battery died at about mile 10, so he was pretty bummed out about that since that meant he’d have to run the last 3 miles without his music. When we realized it happened, I braced for impact. I was pretty sure he’d be super upset since he depends on his music so much for running and honestly so do I! So, I was really proud of him for not overreacting and just going with the flow. He was upset, sure, but he took it in stride and moved forward. I took my headphones off too in solidarity and we finished together with big smiles on our faces!

The actual course was great! It was a nice downhill run. The scenery was pretty, the weather was cool, and the aid stations were plenty. Even when we ran outside the canyon and into the town itself, we ran through trails and sidewalks in parks that were nice and even provided some shade as it started to warm up towards the end of the race for us. The race medals and shirts were also excellent and the post-run snacks were great! We especially liked the ice pops they were handing out! I would highly recommend this race to anyone who is looking for a fast downhill half marathon in the fall!

An Open Letter to My Son : Running Your First Half Marathon

At 13 years old, you’re just one day away from running your first half marathon. You’ve always been an overachiever. Potty trained before you were 2, skipping the baby babble and going straight to complete sentences. You can’t just solve a rubix’s cube, you can solve it in under 30 seconds. Kendama, guitar, card tricks, algebra, reading, drawing, the list goes on and on. You’ve excelled in all you set your mind to do.

Except running. Because all those other things have come easy to you, but not running. Running has been hard. It’s been slow. It’s been chock full of complaints, struggles, and failures. Running has beaten you down. It has irritated you. Running has made you hurt. It’s frustrated you. Running has made you feel less than. It’s humbled you. And for this I say, thank you, to running. I thank running for teaching you that it’s not always easy to reach your goals. Running requires discipline and endurance and grit. These are all things I hope you’ve learned through running.

You complained about waking up early during summer break to run, but you did it anyways. We argued along the road many mornings, but it never stopped you. During moments of frustration, you still endured. So many times you wanted to give up, to turn around, but you never did. You kept going. May this be a lesson you take with you always.

I hope that running will always stay with you. I hope you find a love for running, as I have. But, if you don’t, that’s ok too. But I do hope you never forget the lessons learned during your training. Because, whether you realize it or not, running has taught you so much about life. It’s taught you to never give up. Wether you go fast or slow, what matters is that you are moving forward. Never forget that. Never forget that although there may be pain and it may be difficult, chasing your dreams is always worth it. Life won’t always be easy, but sticking to your goals and being true to yourself will always be worth it. Never forget that feeling of accomplishment you get after a long or difficult run. Let that stay with you and let that guide you. There is power in perseverance.

Running alongside you all these weeks has not always been easy, but neither has being your mom and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I am so proud to be running with you tomorrow and sharing 13.1 miles with you. Crossing that finish line together will be a moment I never forget. I love you beyond words.

PS. I can’t forget to give a shout of of thanks and appreciation to the hubs for all those early mornings of driving him up to meet us at the mountain so he could get his long runs in. And to Valerie for all the rides up the mountain and encouraging him and me along the way. To all our friends and family who’ve also encouraged him, it doesn’t go unnoticed! XO

Summer Bucket List 2018 | Camping in Utah

Our family enjoys being outdoors. We like to go hiking and take walks at the park. Jason and the kids like going on bike rides and as you know, I’m a runner. However, we just recently started going camping as a family. I guess you can say we are officially “outdoorsy” now 😉 To check out my 5 tips for camping with kids, go HERE!

Anyhow, we’d been camping twice and both times to the same place, Navajo Lake in Utah, so for this year’s camping trip we decided we’d try someplace new. We made reservations to a campsite in Central Utah called Kents Lake. We went with 3 other families, all of which had also been with us on our last camping trip. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and spent 2 nights sleeping in tents and enjoying the fresh air. The weather was a bit warmer than our last trips, but we appreciated it at night. We had one afternoon of showers and hail, which put a slight damper on our lunch and made Elysse freak out, but it cleared up pretty quickly and all was well again!

The main highlight for our family was Diego catching his first fish on the lake! It was so special to see his face light up! Huge thanks to the family fishing next to them for sharing their secret weapon with us and helping him figure out what to do once he’d caught it.

The camp site was fine, but I wouldn’t recommend it as it didn’t have flushing toilets. Now, I understand we’re camping and all, but flushing toilets are a basic necessity for me. They had vault toilets, which is really just an outhouse. Also, compared to Navajo Lake, there wasn’t too much to do around the campsite or on the lake. Of course, when you’re camping with 13 other people and you are all good friends, you don’t need much more than that! We still had a really good time with lots of laughs and new memories were made. We can’t wait to go camping again together, just not at Kent’s Lake this time. We’re thinking of changing it up and doing some beach camping in Southern California next summer. What’s your favorite camping spot? Have you been camping at the beach? Let me know in the comments below.

Half Marathon Training with a Teenager

Last year, my then 12 year old son said he’d like to run a half marathon. I thought he was just being funny or talking in the distant future, but no. He was serious and insisted on it. We researched some races and talked some more about it. I gave him the good and the bad, but honestly, mostly the bad because I wanted to paint a truthful picture and the truth is that training for a half marathon is not easy. He acknowledged that it was going to be hard work, but that he really wanted to challenge himself and run his first half marathon at the age of 13. So, we did it. We signed up for the Cedar City Half Marathon on September 8, 2018. I explained that he would be training for a half marathon all through summer break and even into his first weeks of back to school but he was not deterred.

While he was still in school, we started with 2 mile once a week runs. Then, last month, we started the actual 14-week training plan and he’s been training pretty consistently for the past 6 weeks. We have 8 more weeks to go and I couldn’t be prouder of this kid! But please, don’t get me wrong. He is no super kid. He is after all, a 13 year old boy and oh have we had our arguments. It’s been hard being mom and coach. I feel like because it’s been me giving him running advice, it’s been hard for him to accept it and we butt heads a lot. He’s cranky at 6am and when I remind him that he signed up for this on his own, I get attitude. I then have to remember he is still just a 13 year old kid and take a deep breath.

It’s been hard, but it’s also been rewarding. I’ve been learning to be patient and let things go. I’m learning to go at his pace and enjoy our time together regardless of our pace and whether I think he could do better or go faster. I remind myself that I just ran my first half marathon 5 years ago at the age of 36! This kid is 13 and about to run his first half marathon. I am so proud of him already! I’m not too mushy or sentimental, but I did cry after my 1st half marathon and after my 1st full marathon. I’m pretty sure I will cry for the 3rd time again after I cross the finish line with my son in September. But until then, there will most definitely be more cranky early mornings and arguments, and I’ll just have to be ok with that.

What races are you training for this summer? Any tips on running with a teen? EEK!!

Global Running Day 2018

Earlier this month, on Wednesday, June 6th to be exact, was Global Running Day! What is Global Running Day? The Global Running Day website say’s “Global Running Day is a worldwide celebration of running that encourages everyone to get moving. It doesn’t matter how fast you run or how far you go—what’s important is that you take part, and how you do it is up to you. Run a lap around your block, take your dog for a long walk, or call your friends for a pick-up game in the park. The important thing is that you have fun being active—and you inspire others to join you.”

This is something I can totally get behind and this year I helped organize a fun run event in Las Vegas for the Rock N Roll Marathon series. As most of you know, I am an ambassador/Rock N Blogger for them and I was so excited when they reached out to me about putting together an event in my town. I contacted my favorite local running store, Red Rock Running Company, and they were totally on board to having us host the event in their store. YAY!!

The event was a huge success! We had a nice turnout and after everyone ran the 5K course, they came back to the store for pizza (because runners love pizza!!) and some Rock N Roll swag to make it a true celebration! I was there to answer any questions folks had about any of the Rock N Roll races, and especially the epic Las Vegas, Rock the Strip at Night race! It was nice to chat with the other runners about their past Rock N Roll marathon and half marathon races they’d ran in various cities and share our experiences! Rock n Roll was also having a great sale on all races just for Global Running Day and so of course, I talked about that and was ready to get folks registered right on site!

I gotta say, one thing I truly love about running is the awesome community! They build each other up, give advice, and never make you feel like you aren’t a true runner. If you run, you’re a runner. It’s not about how fast you are, it’s about getting out there and doing it! And hey, if you missed out on the Global Running Day Sale and still want to take the plunge and run a marathon or half marathon, here’s a little motivation for you to get started! Nothing like a little savings, you know, so you can go snag those new running shoes too 😉

Summer Bucket List 2018

Here we go! Another summer has begun and the Emeric Kiddos couldn’t be happier to be out of school! Our Summer Bucket List is something we do every year and is something we all look forward to. We don’t have a big summer trip planned this year like our trip last year to Seattle and Portland, because we’ll be taking a trip to Texas for my cousin’s wedding in September. But, we still have some fun weekend trips and activities planned to get the most out of summer!

This year, we decided to use our kitchen letter board to display our list.

Besides what’s on the list, we took Diego to go see the play Hamilton at The Smith Center. He’s been listening to the soundtrack for over a year now and has the entire thing memorized. So, when we saw they were coming to Vegas as part of the Smith Center’s Broadway Series, I purchased season tickets to ensure he got to see the show and then upgraded our seats to some much better seats for the show. It was an amazing show and so worth all the sacrifices to get him there! If you get the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it.

Next up, I’ll be planning Elysse’s first sleep over party later this month! She’s planning a Hollywood Game Night theme with a waffle bar for breakfast! She’s super excited about it!! I’ll be sure to share a blog post with photos of the games and decor!

Now tell me, what fun do you have planned for your summer? Any epic trips? Family vacations?

Rock n Roll Half Marathon Nashville : Race Recap

I can summarize my trip to Nashville in two words: running + eating! What could be better, right?

If you read my last post, you know that I was nervous about running the Nashville Rock n Roll Half Marathon because the course promised to be hilly and I am not a fan of hills! Plus, my friend was running it too and it was her first half marathon, so I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to support her like I wanted to. Well, to make a long story short, we rocked that run! I felt strong throughout the entire race, which I was nervous about due to the hills. Plus, I paced my friend and we made it right under her goal time! I was so happy I felt good running those hills and it was proof that you have to trust the process. I made it a point to train hills and it paid off!

My flight to Nashville was super early in the morning, but it gave us the opportunity to grab some yummy lunch at Husk when I arrived and still make it in time for packet pickup afterwards! As usual, the process was smooth and easy. There were all the usual, easy to follow signs and awesome volunteers. The actual expo didn’t seem as big or as busy as some other cities, though. I didn’t mind this, as we don’t stay too long at the expo. We got our beer wristbands for our free post-race beer and picked up our parking pass, that I prepaid for online. Since we were driving ourselves in the morning and this was my friend’s first experience, I didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed with having to search for parking and deal with the traffic too! It was a great option and one I think I will use again for sure if I plan to drive and park for a race and not get dropped off.

After checking-in to our hotel and relaxing for a bit, it was time for our carb loading dinner! I traditionally have pizza before a race so I looking for some Yelp suggestions and found Slim + Husky’s . The reviews were amazing and it did not disappoint! They have local, fresh, ingredients and all the pizzas are made to order. They also carry local craft beers, which is also part of my carb loading dinner 😉

Like I mentioned above, the race itself was amazing! It was fun and we enjoyed the music, the scenery, and all the folks who came out to cheer us on! Running through some of the neighborhoods and seeing the residents making a morning out of it reminded me of the vibe from the San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon last year. They too were out cheering us on, drinking mimosas, and even handing out drinks and snacks to us runners too!

After the race, we spent our day exploring some of the neighborhoods and of course, eating some delicious food to celebrate our race finish! I highly recommend this race for it’s fun atmosphere, challenging course, and who doesn’t want to enjoy all the Nashville has to offer both before and after the race!

Self-Doubt Before Race Day | Rock N Roll Half Marathon Nashville

So, as I type this I should really be packing for my trip to Nashville, since we’ll be out tonight. My flight leaves at 6am tomorrow, so I have an early wake up call. Anyhow, I’ll get to it before I have to get into mommy-driver duty!

I’m super excited to be running the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Nashville this Sat. Not so much because I love country music, hilly courses, and humidity, but because I’ll be running alongside my BFF since high school! This will be her first half marathon and I’m thrilled I was the one who motivated her to sign up. I was asking if maybe she’d like to run the 5K, but she surprised me and said she’d join me in the half marathon! You can imaging my excitement!!! She’s been training for about 12 weeks and I’ve been supporting her via text messages and phone calls. This got me thinking about my own first half marathon and how my cousin, who’s an avid marathon runner, came to run alongside me for my first half marathon. I remember how happy I was to have someone with all of her experience running with me and supporting me. It really helped make my first half marathon experience such a good one! As excited as I am to now be the one paying it forward and being the “experienced” runner, I’m also nervous about my own performance. Hills aren’t my jam, I mean, let’s be honest, they aren’t anyones jam! I’m also not as fast or fit as I was a few years ago and it’s messing with my head (see what I did there?). I’ve put in the miles and ran hills in my training, but I’m afraid I’ll be seen as a fraud. Like, yea I call myself a runner, but then I’m huffing and puffing at mile 10. I’m afraid I won’t be the best support for her or worse yet, that she’ll be the one supporting me! Won’t that be embarrassing!?!

I’m working on keeping a positive mindset and trust that I won’t fail. I need to trust that it’s going to be a fun experience, no matter the outcome. I admit, this is hard to do. It’s hard to feel your best, when you know you could do better because you have done better. Ok, I know I am overreacting to a hypothetical situation and it’s silly, but it’s the truth and I can’t be anything but honest. Have you ever felt this way before? Be it running or another aspect of your life, I bet you have. I can also say from experience that things aren’t usually as bad as you think they’re gonna be. Am I right? So, I am leaving it all here on the blog. I’m typing it out here but then I’m going to think of how happy I’ll be seeing my best friend, who I haven’t seen almost 5years. I’m going to focus on how awesome it is that I’ll be running my 14th half marathon in 2 days. I’m excited to visit and explore a new city and eat some pretty good food too!! And, I’m gonna go pack…

Who’s been to Nashville? Any recommendations on must-see or must-eats? I’ll be back next week to let you know how it went and if you are struggling with feelings of self-doubt too, stay strong and know you aren’t alone. XO