Mom on the Run--Woman of Steele

So I have been so focused on running long distances this winter on my treadmill that I have totally neglected my blogging.  I have not actually run that many races so far this year.  But here's a quick recap of January, February, and so far in March. January started out with the Boston Strong 10K Virtual run which I completed on my treadmill.  I wasn't going for a PR or anything, I just wanted to run the miles.  I mean it felt really good to run for such an awesome cause and my medal is fabulous.  It has to be one of my favorite medals.   My obsession in January and February was to see how many miles I could run on the treadmill.  I started off with 10 miles, since I could do 6 or 7, why not 10.  Once I hit that mark it was, let's go for a half marathon (13.1).  It only continued to 15 miles but that is beastly on a treadmill.  I became totally obsessed with increasing my total mileage each week, that it was all that thought abou...

Normally I wouldn't say I like running in winter!  Last year at this time I would be solely using the dreadmill in my basement.  Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for my Nordic Track Treadmill.  It's a nice one, let me tell you!  Last year I would have said, "It's too cold!" "I don't have the right clothes." "What if I slip and fall?"  Now I can't wait to run outside.  Throughout this month I have acquired the appropriate clothing and foot attire to make running outside so completely enjoyable, that I don't understand why I didn't just make these purchases in the first place!  I now have Yak Trax for my shoes, Mizuno winter running tights that heat up as you sweat, and a saucony face mask to protect my face.  My hubs even bought me texting gloves for Christmas so I can use my Runkeeper app and not have to take off my gloves!  Yeah Me!!! My first race of December was the Santa Hustle 5K in Milwaukee.  This is the sec...

Yes, you read that correctly my friends!  I ran four races in November!  Two of which were virtual races through my beautiful Milton!! My first race was for Team Fabulous through the facebook page Not Fast Just Fabulous.  (Go check Krissy out.  She's awesome!  She is a stroke survivor who dropped her cane and picked up running!  She is a true inspirational Mom on the Run!!) This run was for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.  A great 5K for a great cause!  No PR for this race as I ran it on my treadmill at 5:30 am on a glorious Tuesday morning!  I did use it for some speed drills though.  I ran interval for 20 minutes with 10-1 minute drills at 7 mph with 10-1 minute recoveries at 5 mph.  Beastly run!  My legs were tight to begin with so I wore my compression sleeves while running, but they were still tight and sore after so I ended up wearing compression sleeves under my pants at work all day!   Thes...

I apologize for the late bloggings!!  I have really no excuse other than I am new to this blogging thing and life has totally gotten away from me.  I have been so focused on increasing my mileage, endurance, and speed of running; working on building my muscles with the help of P90X; and trying to get my whole family to eat healthier (which is not easy with a stubborn Italian husband; 3 and 5-year-old), that I have neglected to share all of my struggles and triumphs with you!  My deepest apologies!   This is definitely one of my New Year's Resolutions!  I will be a better blogger Mom on the Run!! So here's my post for my October Race.  On Sunday October 6, I ran a Virtual 10K for a Facebook Page that I like called Fight Like a Girl.  The proceeds for this race went to Breast Cancer Awareness which is near and dear to my heart.  One of my Mother's best friends since Kindergarten was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago. ...

So I've been totally overwhelmed this month with the new school year for my daughter and myself and training for my first ever half marathon.  The recovery after that race was more than I imagined but that is for later.  So on top of apologizing for my chaotic life, I am new to this whole blogger thing and I truly want to inspire people by sharing my story.  So there is my apology and my pledge to try my best to share more of my life as a mom and runner! I'm going to start in reverse actually.  I'm going to start with The Henry Vilas Zoo Run Run which I ran on Sunday, September 29, 2013.  This was a very emotional day for me on so many levels.  To begin, this was the 1 year anniversary of my very first 5K race.  I ran this course as my very first 5K 1 year ago.  I cannot believe that it has been a year since I first decided to race!  I've grown so much as a runner in that time period. This was a gorgeous day for a run!  Not only was ...

Good afternoon everyone!  I apologize for this taking almost a week to write, but you know how it is being a mommy and then almost having jury duty on top of it. Now to my race.  I love racing!!! It pushes me to my limits and lets me see just how much I can push myself when I want to.  I love the motivation I get from others also!  Plus, I just feel like a BEAST when I finish.  It's amazing!! Waking up that morning, the nerves set in a little bit, but this is my 10th race, so I pretty much know the drill by now.  I was up before the rest of my family, as usual.  Ate my breakfast of a generic egg mcmuffin sandwich (not the best choice, as I will later find out).  I woke up the hubby and the kids after getting dressed in the race outfit I had set out the night before.  As most of you know, I am pretty OCD about getting this organized and being on time, so this is normal for me and it helps to keep me calm.  Plus, it's just a good idea ...

When I began my fitness journey, the thought of running never really even crossed my mind.  I had always told myself that I was not built to be a runner.  My thighs were too big and rubbed together.  My arms were giggly and could not pump hard enough.  And to be a little TMI, my boobs were too big and no sports bra could contain them.  I have bad knees.  I get shin splints.  What if I get hurt? What if someone comes after me?  Let me tell you, I had every excuse in the book as to why running was not for me. I ran a little bit in college for stress relief and to be active, but nothing serious.  I was more into fitness videos and starving myself to lose weight.  During college, after gaining the freshmen 20+, I was obsessed with losing it, and I would do anything to become skinny.  I ate very little and would workout for a ridiculous amount of time every day.  I even got to the point to where I was using over the...