Garmin Forerunner 305

My husband gave me a wonderful Christmas gift. After a few weeks of this little birdie whispering in his ear that I wanted a Garmin running watch. And this is what I unwrapped on Christmas morning.

I absolutely love it! It is everything that I wanted for my running watch. It tells me my pace, distance, and time. It can also perform many other functions that I haven't quited tested out yet. I am so excited to have it to use for my half marathon training!



This week's mileage:
Tues: 2 miles
Wed: 3 miles
Sat: 2.11 miles ( avg pace 10:45 min/mile)
Sun: 5.1 miles (avg pace 11:25 min/mile)
Total: 12.21 miles



I'm happy I got to complete all of my training runs this week and now I can note my pace thanks to my Garmin!

Wonderful Christmas

Christmas this year was busy! We spent a lot of time with family, as that is how it should be. On Christmas Eve we had dinner with Ryan's Mom's side of the family, then went to church to worship our wonderful Savior whose birth we are celebrating, and then we returned for dessert and gift giving. Christmas day was even busier. ...

Ryan and I woke up and exchanged our gifts to one another, then dressed and headed to his parents house to open gifts, then went to his aunt and uncles for breakfast, then over to my parents house to open gifts, then back to Ryan's parents for lunch, and then back to my parents for dinner. Wheww...it was a very busy Christmas Day. But I am so thankful for reason we get to together and celebrate....and that reason is Jesus. What a wonderful, precious gift that has been given to us all. Amazing!

Cold Weekend

This weekend brought some very cold weather and a lot of snow for Virginia. Although many parts of Virginia got 1-2 feet of snow, we only got about about an inch of snow. But that was enough to disturb Penny. She didn't quite know what to do with the white stuff. Ryan and I had to take her outside multiple times in a thirty minute time period so she could figure out where her potty spot was. This morning when she woke up she seemed to like the snow much better. She was running and playing in it with her head to the ground eating as much snow as she could along the way.

The cold weather also brough with it a cold long run this afternoon. I had a scheduled 5 mile run today. I was quite nervous and had butterflies in my stomach prior to running. I mapped out a route that would take me 2.5 miles out and back for a total of 5 miles. It was a great run. I ran the entire way, except for having to stop at the stop light. My husband was very encouraging and it was nice to have him along for the run. I'm looking forward to my next 5 mile run next Sunday.

Total Mileage For the Week:

Thurs: 1.54 miles

Sat: 3.04 miles

Sun: 5 miles

Total: 9.58 miles

Hopefully next week with winter break I'll be able to actually follow my training schedule a bit better instead of cramming my runs in at the end of the week. I think my legs will appreciate that. And I'll also hopefully get in all 4 runs, instead of just 3.

Kettlebells =

An extremely sore body.

Ryan and I decided to do Kettlebell Power on Thursday evening. We usually do BodyPump, but the class schedule changed. I was very hesitant to do Kettlebells since I had tried the intro class back a few months ago when they were first adding to the class schedule at the gym and I walked away extremely sore and unable to move very well the next few days. I vowed I would never do the class again. Well I lied to myself. I did the class last night and I am very sore. Thus, I think I can conclude that Kettlebells is a great workout and I'll be going back again.

Next Week, Please...

I am so ready for next week to be here for several reasons:
1. Winter break will begin.
2. It will be Christmas.
3. Less stress and more relaxation time.
4. More running time.

This past week has been extremely stressful and busy. I am in great need of a break from work and so are my students. I need to finish up my Christmas shopping and get gifts wrapped. Ahh...where does the time go.

I've been so busy throughout this past week and this weekend that I have not had as much time to run. I was lucky to get in 3 out of 4 training runs. So here is my weekly mileage:

Tues: 2 miles
Sat: 2 miles
Sun: 4.07 miles
Total: 8.07

Hopefully next week will be better.

Why did I doubt?

I was really nervous for today's long run. In the past the farthest I have ever run was really just 3.1 miles (that is without walking). Today my scheduled run was for 4 miles and I was extremely nervous. I debated giving up already and that's not a good sign for my training for a half marathon. Well...

I did it! I actually ran 4 miles. And it was pretty easy. I didn't exactly do it all at once. I took Penny for 2 miles and then came back and got Ryan for the second half of my run. So I maybe had a five minute break in between, but I don't care. I did it; I ran 4 miles! My confidence is back up for my training (at least for this week...haha).

Weekly Mileage:
Tues: 2.1 miles
Thurs: 2.01 miles
Sat: 2.07 miles
Sun: 4 miles
Total: 10.18 miles

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love Christmas time! I love all the decorations and lights. And most importantly, I love all the time spent with family and friends. We put our Christmas decor and tree after Thanksgiving. Here are some pictures...