Dedicating My Miles…

Earlier this year, I came across a blog that was talking about how some runners dedicate their race or or their miles during the race, to family, friends, organizations, etc. This helps the runners keep their momentum going and to really focus on something or someone to get them through the miles, especially the tougher ones. This really resonated with me. I remember reading and thinking that I’d do that if I ever ran a marathon. And then thinking, “Yea, like I’d ever run a marathon!” Well, here I am, I’m running my first half marathon (baby steps, people) on Sunday. I’ve had so many people believe in me and support me through this newfound passion and this amazing journey I’m having transforming myself from the inside out.

Well, with out further ado, here’s my list of people I’m dedicating my first half marathon to:

{Miles 1-2} My parents. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. Literally, yes. But, my parents have never discouraged me from following my dreams. They’re always there when I need them. And, they’ll be watching the kiddos on race day! I love them so much!

{Mile 3} My friends. The new ones and the old ones who’ve stuck with me through thick and thin. The ones who believe in me. The ones who encourage me to keep going and don’t think I’m crazy for trying new things. Ok, maybe they think I’m crazy, but they’re rooting for me anyways. I love you, guys!

{Mile 4} Ashley. My trainer. She’s so encouraging and has helped me get stronger by focusing on my individual needs and pushing me to try harder. She believes in me and I don’t want to let her down.

{Mile 5} It’s A Messy Life blog readers. Yes, I know most of these are friends and family, but I’m still happy to have a place to share my experiences with people and motivate others to keep trying to improve and live happy lives. Thank you for your support & I look forward to growing my little blog into a fun community to share, uplift, and laugh about our messy lives together!

{Mile 6} My aunts and uncle who passed away too soon and can’t be here cheering me on but I know they would be if they could. Especially my aunt Norma. I know she’d be front and center cheering me on from the sidelines.

{Mile 7} My crazy fun and awesome family! For my cousins who no matter how long we go without seeing each other, when we finally do get together it’s always like we were never apart. I love that. I love laughing and being myself around them. There’s no drama, no comparing, no agendas, it’s family and we’re always there for each other. Thanks, primas 🙂

{Mile 8} My cousin Anel, although she will always be Nelly to me 😉 She is flying out from Texas today to come run my first race with me. Talk about supportive, huh! She’s even dragging her husband with us. She’s been motivating me and training with me via text messages. Love those sweaty post-running photos she shares with me. And, even though I say she’s crazy for all those miles she runs (she’s training for a full marathon next month) I really do admire her dedication and secretly wish I could run like her 😉

{Mile 9} My sister, Norma. She is my bff. She gets me. She is the one person who I know will always be there for me. She has to be. She’s my sister. I love her for putting up with me, for always being there for me. We can lean on each other and stand tall together knowing that we’ll never be alone.

{Miles 10-11} My kiddos, Diego & Elysse. I want to be a strong female role model for them. I want them to know that they can do anything. I want to be a good example for them and help them become healthy, active adults. I want them to be proud of me.

{Mile 12} My husband, Jason. I’m so grateful for his immense support. For believing in me wholeheartedly, even when I don’t believe in myself. Fo never complaining when I need to go on my runs, but rather encouraging me even when I’m grumpy! Thank you seems so little a phrase for all he does for our family. I love you, babe.

{Mile 13} This one is all mine. This one is to prove to myself that I can do it. I never imagined that I would be running a half marathon. Never. Yet here I am. It’s so amazing to know we all have it in us to make changes for the better. We can all become the person we are meant to be, even if we didn’t know we had it in us. It’s there. It’s just waiting for you to make the first move.

Thanks again everyone for supporting me in this and all I do! I am so grateful to have so many amazing – awesome – caring – funny – uplifting – loving – people in my life. xo

Preparing for my First Half Marathon | Tips & Tricks

It’s 5 days until my first half marathon and I’m getting really excited and a little nervous. One thing that helps keep me calm, is to have a plan. I like to plan just about everything! Ask my husband about family vacations, hahaha! I’m not going to totally freak out if things don’t go as planned, but having a plan relaxes me and makes me feel stable. I’m working on being more spontaneous in my life, I’m not sure I love it…

So of course, I am planning the logistics of race day down to the last detail. Huge thanks to the folks at Rock N Roll Marathon Series for the awesome event details, complete with PDFs of the course, road closures, etc. They’ve been very helpful 😉 I’ve heard that the crowds are huge and traffic gets really bad around the strip due to the road closures, so we want to allow for enough time to get to the strip early, check in to our room, and make our way to the start line with plenty of time. Our room is close to the finish line, so my parents and the kids will have a warm place to hang out while we run and we won’t have too long of a walk afterwards. We’ll also be having our own private “post-party” there! Woohoo!!!! Bring on the champagne!!!

Another thing that makes this race unique from other races is that it’s in the evening, so fueling up for the race would be a little different than regular morning races. I found these 2 articles that helped me plan for the day, down from what to pack to how to fuel. If you are running the Rock N Roll Vegas race this Sunday or any other night race, I totally suggest checking them out. Here are the links:

http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/how-do-i-fuel-evening-race

http://runeatrepeat.com/2013/11/06/fueling-for-a-night-race-disney-wine-and-dine-rnr-las-vegas-half-marathon/

I’m also planning to hit the grocery store to stock our room with snacks and drinks for before and after the race. I’ve gotta pack my bag with post-race clothes, but I already have my outfit laid out, maybe that was a little too early!

Big thanks to Brooks for this handy checklist!

So, for those of you experienced marathon runners, is there anything I’m missing? Do you have any race day prep tips and tricks you’d like to share with me and other newbies? I’d love to read all about your experiences in the comments, don’t be shy!

Our Family Fun Fall Bucket List

Like I mentioned on Monday, my son’s school has changed to a year round school to help with overcrowding. There are 5 different tracks in the school, which means one track is out on break at all times and this means there’s room for more children in the school, without necessarily having more children in each classroom. It can get confusing, trust me. Anyhow, since he won’t have a 3 month long summer break anymore, we’re making mini bucket lists for each track break instead of our big summer bucket list we do every year.

He’s off on his first track break all of November and so far this week, we haven’t done a whole lot of stuff. I made up some schedules in the hopes I won’t get so many, “Mom, what can I do now?” throughout the day! We’re also heading to the store today to get some art & craft supplies to help the days go by without too much TV and MineCraft! Here’s our Family Fun Fall Track Break Bucket List! Ok, ok, taking 2 AR tests a week is probably not super fun, but I’ve gotta keep it balanced! I’ll be sharing the real fun as we mark those things off our list! I’m super excited about them doing the Piglet Dash at the Dirty Dash later this month! Anyone else have a fall bucket list? What kind of activities do you do in the fall with your family? I’d love to hear from you!

Let’s Stop Comparing.

Did anyone else watch the NYC Marathon on TV this past Sunday? I watched bits of it and was so inspired. I know I will never-ever-ever run as fast as the top female finisher! She ran 26.2 miles in 02:25:07. Amazing! To put things into perspective, I’m hoping to finish my first half marathon, 13.1 miles, in around 2:30. Of course, running is her life, not a hobby. She’s an elite athlete and to compare myself to her, for any one of us to compare ourselves to her, would be wrong. It’s unrealistic and not healthy. So, why do we still do it? We may not compare ourselves to top athletes, but we compare ourselves to other women. We’re bombarded by stories on social media about all these amazing success stories and we start to feel bad about ourselves. We start to second guess ourselves, second guess our own progress. I know it happens to me. I’ll be like, “It only took her 3 months to lose 30 lbs, it took me a year! What’s wrong with me?” “She can do how many pull ups? I just want to do 1!” I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Let’s stop comparing ourselves to others. The only person we should compare ourselves to, is ourselves. Let’s focus on becoming better than we were, not better than so and so. We are all at different stages in our lives and journeys, so why compare our middle, with someone else’s end. How do I know what it took for that lady to lose 30 lbs in 3 months! Maybe it was hard for her, maybe it was easy for her. I don’t know. I only know that it was her journey, her story, her moment. Not mine. It took me over a year to lose 30 lbs and I’m ok with that. Why? Because it’s my story, my journey.

Let’s look back at who we were last year, last month, last week, and be proud of the progress we’ve made, the goals we’ve reach, and the hurdles we’ve overcome. Not just in fitness, but in life too. That is much more rewarding and much more realistic. Let’s be happy with ourselves. Let’s live our life fully and wholeheartedly. Let’s promise to stop comparing ourselves to others and focus on ourselves this week! Write down 5 things you’ve done this year that you are proud of and start feeling good about yourself. Deal? Deal!

Let's stop this and start living our own life! — Let’s stop this and start living our own life!

Family Fun | A trip to Gilcrease Orchard

Yup, an orchard in the desert! I wish Gilcrease Orchard was closer to us, but sadly, it’s on the opposite end of Las Vegas from where we live and we don’t go very often. Like I said, I sure wish we did because we had a great time picking our own vegetables and of course, getting a pumpkin! We missed picking apples this season (I’ve vowed to go apple picking year!), but we did grab a bottle of their homemade apple cider and apple cider donuts! Yummy 🙂

Here are a few photos from our morning at the orhard.

5 Steps to a Good Run

“I am not a runner.” I told myself that all the time, mostly as an excuse to not run. I did a couple 5Ks and wasn’t really into it. I love obstacle course racing, mostly because you get to take breaks from running and jump over walls and trek through mud. And then, I signed up for my first half marathon. Yup. Me. The girl who doesn’t like to run. Go figure, huh?

Well, I’m in my 14th week of half marathon training and my long runs are up to 9 miles. The Rock N Roll Half Marathon is happening November 17th and I’m a little nervous, but super excited. So, do I have a newfound love for running? Yes and No. I love the feeling after a run. I love how I can see myself getting faster and it amazes me that I can actually run farther distances than I ever imagined! I don’t love the treadmill. I’ve learned that the first 3 miles are the hardest (maybe that’s why 5Ks aren’t for me). It takes me a while to warm up! I like how running clears my head. I may start thinking about my “to do” list, but soon my thoughts are simply about getting it done. I become my own cheerleader. I still sometimes dread the idea of going out there and running, however I’ve found a few things that help my runs go a lot better than ever before. I’m clearly no authority on running, but these are a few things that have helped me, as a novice, enjoy running. So, if you’re like me and were never a big fan of running, check out these 5 Steps to a Good Run and let me know if they help you! With the right attitude, everyone can an enjoy a good run, even if running isn’t your favorite 😉

5 Steps to a Good Run

1. A great playlist! I could not get through my runs without my running music. For me, this isn’t even the genre of music I listen to on a regular basis, but the fast beats help keep me going at a steady pace and the lyrics are entertaining and/or motivating. I start my playlist with a few warm up songs, then a few favorites towards the middle to keep me going, and finally I save the real pump-me-up songs towards the end to keep me from stopping! I’m really loving Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia, Stronger by Kanye West, and Light Em Up by Fall Out Boy right now!

2. Water! You have no idea how many times I’d go for a run without water! I just didn’t like having to hold a bottle of water while I ran. It felt cumbersome, but then I’d be wishing I had some water when my throat was so dry and I started panting. Then, I learned about hydration belts, camel backs, and water packs. Running with water just got easier! And, I’ve got a place to hold my phone & asthma rescue inhaler too! There are lots of brands and styles out there, so try one out and find what works best for you. PS. you can find these at TJMaxx and Marshalls too for a fraction of the cost at a sports store 😉

This is what I currently use for all my runs!

But, I've got my eye on this one, maybe for shorter runs. — But, I’ve got my eye on this one, maybe for shorter runs.

3. Start Slow! Like I mentioned earlier, it takes a while for your body to warm up, so don’t feel like you have to start out at a super fast pace. Take a few moments before your run to figure out where you’ll start to increase your pace. For me, they are visual markers along my run, but it could easily be after 10 mins I’ll speed it up a bit or after 1 mile and so forth. The important thing, is to give your body the time it needs to warm up, otherwise you’ll get tired fast and will feel like quitting, believe me, I learned this the hard way!

4. Don’t Wear Cotton! Cotton tshirts were all I used to wear to the gym and for running. I was already wearing shorts or workout leggings, the last thing I wanted was to wear anything form fitting & show off the the muffin top! But, alas the t-shirts would get weighed down with sweat super fast. Yeah, pretty gross! I’d spend a lot of time adjusting my t-shirt so it wouldn’t stick to me. Yes, it was unflattering and uncomfortable. Sweaty t-shirts can also cause chafing under your armpits. Again, another thing I learned the hard way! This also goes for cotton yoga pants & undies! Grab yourself a few of those tech moisture-wicking shirts and thank me later 😉

Ps. I’ve found some that aren’t super form fitting either!

5. Track Your Runs! This is helpful for a few reasons. First, you’ll have an accurate detailed account of your run, such as distance, pace, and even average calories burned. Second, you’ll see how much better you’re getting! Tracking your progress is so important when running and working out in general. It really helps keep you motivated and proud of how far you’ve come. I just use the free RunKeeper app, but there are a ton of options out there!

BONUS TIPS: Don’t forget to do a quick warm up stretch before your run and a longer stretch afterwards. Check our Runner’s World for a ton of different stretching exercises for runners to find what works for you!

So, do you have any tips you’d like to share that help you with your running? Sharing is care 😉

Our South Texas Getaway | Visiting Family & Friends

Today I just wanted to share a bit of our trip to South Texas earlier this month. The main reason for our trip was to photograph Debbie + Oscar’s wedding in Corpus Christi, TX and being that I have some family and friends in the area (about an hr from Corpus) my sister tagged along for a bit of a getaway too and we all got to see some childhood friends and family we hadn’t seen in many years. Jason and I took advantage of the time away without the kiddos and took a little belated wedding anniversary side-trip to San Antonio, TX! A huge thanks to my parents and brother-in-law for watching them 😉

Here's me & my sister in front of the house where I was born (yup, I was born in there) and grew up in until I was 10 years old. — Here’s me & my sister in front of the house where I was born (yup, I was born in there) and grew up in until I was 10 years old.

Horses and chickens at my cousin's house! She loves the country life! Me, not so much.... — Horses and chickens at my cousin’s house! She loves the country life! Me, not so much….

But it was fun visiting :) — But it was fun visiting 🙂

This guy being my “sexy model” while we were scouting for photo spots for the wedding in Corpus Christi!

Sunday Funday! Hanging out with friends and family. It was a mini-reunion :) So much fun!! — Sunday Funday! Hanging out with friends and family. It was a mini-reunion 🙂 So much fun!!

Getting a little work done on the porch!

At the Alamo in San Antonio with my love!

Jason and I crammed a 4.80mile run along the River Walk, couples massages, a little shopping, and some yummy food & drinks in our 2 days in San Antonio. That’s really one of my favorite cities! It was a fun trip, can you tell? What’s one of your favorite cities?

Tough Mudder Las Vegas 2014 | Tough Cookies 2.0

Yesterday I did it. I signed my husband and I up for our second Tough Mudder event. I’ll be honest, the thought of going through that electic eel makes me want to throw up. Yup, that’s me getting shocked by 10,000 volts of electricity ———————–>>>>>

When I signed up last year, I had no idea what I was getting into. I just knew I was ready to do something completely out of my comfort zone. I didn’t know it would change my life. Because it did. Tough Mudder changed my life (I’m not even exaggerating)! Training for the event got me to do workouts I’d never dream I could do. I’d never heard of a burpee before, let alone attempt to do one!! It got me eating healthier. I began to care for my body. It wasn’t about trying to get skinny anymore, it was about trying to get strong. It got my family eating healthier and becoming more active too. And once I completed Tough Mudder, I was hooked. Tough Mudder showed me that I can do whatever I set my mind to do. It takes a lot of discipline, determination, and some pain, but it’s possible. Just like Tough Mudder, you can’t do it alone. Ok, maybe some people can, but I ‘m not one of them. Our team was there for each other and we all helped each other out from start to finish. That’s how life is too. You need your support group to get you over those hurdles! And I have the best group of friends & family supporting me all the way. I’m sure I can get annoying sometimes, so thanks for putting up with me peeps!!!

I’m excited to get some of the original Tough Cookies back together for our second Tough Mudder and super excited to get some new recruits (you know who you are!!) These next 200+ days of Tough Mudder training are going to be amazing and I cannot wait for April 27th! But first, let me get through my first Rock N Roll half marathon, the Dirty Dash, and Spartan Sprint! See, I told you I was hooked 😉

Family Fun at the Festival

We love to have fun together as a family, but with school starting and getting back to our routine it’d been a little bit since we’d done a family outing. So, about 2 weeks ago we made plans to go to an Italian food festival that was in town and had a bunch of carnival rides for the kids. We took off Saturday afternoon and as we’re driving, we see a very large ominous looking cloud right over the area were we were going. As we got closer, we saw it was right over the festival! We went to Target (woohoo!) instead to see how the weather played out. It began to pour and thunder almost as soon as we walked in the store. Our plans for the day were a bust and the kids were not happy about it. But, we promised to go back the next day and so back we went Sunday afternoon. This time, the weather was sunny and warm and the kids got to get on some rides, play carnival games, and eat some treats! It turned out to be a pretty fun afternoon together as a family and we made some good memories. I think fairs/carnivals are a ton of fun for families. There’s something about all the bright colors, the noise, the crazy characters you see, and the smell of all that food that just makes me feel nostalgic. What kinds of things do you and your family like to do together?

I {heart} Book Club

So, a couple years ago I found out about the Day Zero Project. Basically, it’s about making a list of 101 things you want to complete/achieve in 1001 days. Yea, no secret I was all over that one, huh? Me and my list obsession….

Anyhow, the list was a bit too ambitious and I only got about half way through it. But, one of the things on my list was to start a book club and on October 2012 we had our first book club. I started the book club with my sister and a few other girlfriends and next month will be our one year anniversary! You know that is going to be an epic book club meeting!!

Book club is about way more than just reading and reviewing a book. Book club has become a fun monthly ritual where us girls, who may not always get together outside of book club, get to enjoy a few hours of well, girl time! We mingle, catch up on our lives, drink some wine, eat some food, and of course discuss the book we just read. As a mother, it’s great to have some scheduled time to do something just for yourself and focus on you for a few hours.

For our book club meetings, my sister always prints our discussion questions with the cover of the book (it’s really cute!) Depending on the book, we may even make our dinner themed around the book we’re reviewing. For example, when we read “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” we had some yummy Chinese food and since the book “Now You See Her” was mostly based in Key West, you know we had some Jimmy Buffett inspired cuisine. Oh and I should also mention we had a field trip to the movies to see The Great Gatsby and we’ll be doing a fun 5K mud run. You know I am excited about that event!!!

If you’re interested in starting your own book club, here are a few things that I think have helped make our book club successful thus far!

Be consistent – schedule your book club meetings at the same time each month. Ours are usually the last Thurs of the month, but sometimes we change it to Fridays, so being flexible is ok as long as everyone is available.
Take Turns – we all take turns in selecting the books, as well as hosting. This allows us to expand our reading genres and get to know each other better.
Have Rules – ok, we don’t have a lot of rules to our book club, just two 1. Choose a book you’ve never read before 2. No trilogies or series books. This way we aren’t obligated to only read those for the next few months or so.
Send an evite – a few days after the last meeting, I’ll send an evite to everyone with a simple recap of our meeting, thank the hostess, and provide all the info for our next month’s book and meeting spot.
Discussion Questions – these can be found easily online. I usually find them on http://www.litlovers.com/ or http://www.goodreads.com/ Having a set amount of predetermined questions helps move things along!
Have Fun!

I’d love to hear if any of you are part of a book club and what you love about it? xo