The Chi-Athlete

Day One of 365

2018-11-02T05:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I started my "new year". I have a lot of work to do in the next 364 days, but I'm off to a good start.:) Muncher Cruncher started her Seven-Day Gratitude Challenge -- it was a wonderful way to kick things off.

Morning workout: 3.25 easy miles with Windy. My hip felt fine, my foot felt fine. I'm starting to think that these issues are due to inactivity (any amount of sitting).

Ummmmm the Autumn colors here in Chicago are on 10. It was *crunch, crunch, crunch* nearly the whole way.

Meals: One of these bad boys for breakfast, plus a small banana. BROTEIN!<3

Lunch was an Amy's burrito with brown rice -- it didn't look pretty, so I didn't snap it.:P

Afternoon snack -- yum. Also? I'm positive that Honeycrisp is the official apple of Autumn.

I had the ABSOLUTE BEST IDEA FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT. I text Harry with my exclamation...and I wasn't going to be denied.

(Spoiler alert: He didn't fight me.)

I ended up wanting some tomato soup with mine. We added bacon and tomatoes to our grilled cheese -- does anyone else do something like this?

In other news, I'm registering for my first race in a while. I won't be seeking a PR, obvs, but it'll be fun!:) Any locals running this?! Let's meet up!

Day one of 365 was a pretty good day! Off to start day two. Have a wonderful day and a fantastic weekend!

My Stash. My Rut. My New Year.

2018-11-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

Hiiiii! Long time, no see. My school year started up, and I seriously haven't had time to think about anything. I don't mean to sound like a jerk about that -- You all get that we have busy lives, and there's no need to really point it out or talk about it.

*le shrug*

I can't even explain how or why this school year has demolished me. I'm working at a new school, so I believe all of the changes of students, staff, support, etc. have really wrecked me. Somehow, that's really messed with me on every level -- emotionally, physically, mentally. What's weird is that I have so many Teacher friends, ones who have stayed at the same schools and with no major changes happening for them, and they're tanked, as well. I'm not sure what it is, but we're moving right along, and that's all that matters.

Speaking of which, Halloween was kind of fun! It took me ehhhhhhhh about 14 pictures to get the right one of Windy in her Halloween costume. She didn't mind -- she got SO.MANY.COOKIES.

We got the right one (and this legit was the last picture I took of her), and she was a happy pup with all of those cookies in her tummy.

After a long day at school, I was able to break out with a nice stash! Have I just met all of my students as of nine weeks ago? Yes. Have they already figured out that I <3 candy and Nutella? You betcha.

It helped that my neighbor, who's a Kindergarten Teacher, brought home her own enormous stash, and she shared with me.:)

Eating half of the candy seen above didn't make me feel great. To be honest, I'm in some sort of rut for a long, long while. I'm willing to go into further detail soon, as soon as I feel more organized with my thoughts. The short version from what I've figured out about my fitness at the moment: I keep getting injured. I can't tell if these injuries are all in my head (I certainly don't want to be out for months again!), and I'm in such a rut over it, I'm not allowing myself to consistently work with it (i.e. strength training, Yoga, foam rolling, etc.). There's something going on with my left hip, left IT band, and left foot (yup...still). I'm not sleeping well due to the inconsistency. It's such a mess, y'all. I haven't been this inactive in years (prior to my injury).

I think that by coming back to blogging, I can keep myself much more accountable with workouts. That's why some people blog, right? We used to, anyway. So I'm bringing it back!

About ten days ago, Harry told me to make a decision about how I needed to proceed. Setting a time limit or start date always seems to help me, and he somehow knows that. So November 1st is my new year -- I don't have to wait until January 1st, dangit. I have a lot of goals, even though the condition of a few things are questionable. I'll go into those goals when I know more, and can actually acknowledge goals as realistic.

In other news, I can't pull off certain attire.

Happy, happy new month, and I hope you have a wonderful day!<3
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Please tell me a motivating story! I need some inspo!

Do you remember your last rut? How did you get out of it?

Tell me about a new show you've been watching!
-Sabrina on Netflix! Dig it!

Called Out, and I'm THAT Human

2018-09-03T06:02:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm sorry.

Explanation, post-reflection, post-realizing that I needed reflection, post-being called out (I mean this in the nicest way possible!) for needing to update here: The last half of my school year was too stressful for me. I focused really hard on being the best, most involved P.E. and Health Teacher I could be. AND I WAS. I'm still working on my Masters (I'm graduating in December!), and my fitness motivation has been BLURRRRGH for a long while (like, just before being diagnosed with a plantar fascial tear about two years ago).

All of these things lead me to believe that I had nothing to say on here. To be honest, I most likely didn't. What it boils down to is too much processing without a ton of output or closure. When I have a ton of thoughts going through my brain, it's hard to put a pin in anything, let alone explain or analyze a plan of attack.

*LLLLLLLLLE SHRUG*

So here I am, refreshed over a break, focused on work, training, and life in equal parts (lololol let's see how long that lasts!), and kinda itching to say something on the bloggarooney here.

Some new things (!!!!):

Windy started taking swimming lessons over the summer. She hasn't been running with me much this summer (she's like me -- loathes running in the heat and humidity [though I would take hear early in the morning, often just after dawn]), and this has been a great way for her to move. She wasn't very fond of the idea of swimming at first, but I think she's starting to really enjoy it.

She's really good at it and her instructors say that she has really good form. I have a lot to learn from her.:)

I've gone back to Garmin -- the 935, to be exact. I don't know why I left in the first place.

That is totally a drop of sweat under my nose.

I'm teaching at a new school this year! While I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing, I will definitely miss my colleagues, my administration, and most especially, my students. There are quite a bit of changes that I'm going to face, and change is pretty tough. Fingers crossed for me, please!

As excited as I am for the new spot, I'm even more excited to buy new stuff for my equipment closet. Sophs is always happy to assist with purchasing of new, fun items. Pool noodles are A MUST.

I started riding on Zwift -- if you ride on your trainer at home or run on a treadmill (I guess with bluetooth capability), then this is a fun way to connect with other riders and runners, and to get a great course workout.

I've been pretty good about going to Bootcamp Conditioning or a Body Pump class once twice a week for the past month or so. Baby steps.

I'm now *that* human, and made an Instagram for their dog. Here's Windy's Insta!

I just thought I'd catch you up a bit. I'm off to get updates on all of you now (that sounds way more awkward than it should). Have an awesome Monday!

Any CPS Teachers, students or parents out there? Good luck with your new school year! <3

Beets and Gifts -- Weekly Wrap!

2018-01-28T20:00:00.000-06:00

Random: I am not entirely certain as to how Pandora stations are created; I'm assuming it's done by developers and program searches. Regardless, huge shoutout to whomever created the Jock Jams station.

Anyyyyywayyyyy

Remember in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" when Harry took the liquid luck and everything seemed to fall into place for him? Yeah. That was my Saturday.

P.S. Yup. I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd. Need more proof?

I favor the books, in case you were wondering.

Windy and I went out for an early morning run, and not one single picture I took came out clear. *le shrug*

It was 50*F -----> shorts weather, in January (!). Four easy miles for us to start the day.

Breakfast was PERFECT. Delicious carbs, delicious protein, delicious fat.

I had managed to run, eat a fantastic breaky (slowly, not in the car, at home, at the kitchen island, for once), and get out the door with enough time to get the car washed (!!!!!!) and grab coffee (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) before heading to work. I am a P.E. Teacher during the week, and a district Sports Conference Commissioner on Saturdays. It sounds so official, huh? Really, I just have to make sure games are running on time, and that everything goes smoothly. I often have to keep score sheets or boards.

It's a pretty good gig. It does take up most of my Saturdays, as you can see.

I broke away from commissioning (lol) to grab some lunch at the best salad bar in a market (Mariano's!) ever.

The gang on Jillian Michaels' podcast had been discussing the terrific benefits of beets. I had never tried them before, so I threw a few onto my salad.

And I wasn't mad about them, either. I think the texture was manageably different for me, but they were definitely tasty.

Here's some nifty information I found!

I went back over to the school for a bit, then came home to Windy, Sophs and Harry, chillin' like a few villains. I didn't get to see Sophs for my birthday last week, so she (and Windy) waited until this day to give me my present. AND BOY HOWDY, am I happy about it! I thanked them (and Harry), and wasted no time scheduling my appointment.

I hung out in bed for a while, finishing a couple of papers for school (not work; grad school). Windy decided that she needed to be a part of this process.

The best thing ever happened while I was working -- Harry and Sophia took off to Piece Pizza to pick up the most delicious New Haven style 'za in the city.

After dominating several slices of the good stuff, Sophia and I had something very awesome to celebrate:

That was probably one of the best days in quite some time for me. Everything seemed to line up perfectly, which really gave me feelings of happiness and healing. I really appreciate days like this!

Also? The whole gang got together to celebrate Fearless Leader Greg's birthday on Sunday. It's been quite some time since we've all been together in the same spot! We also welcomed our newest and youngest member of the group, Charlotte (middle, in the carseat;).

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Monday - REST
Tuesday - 4.1 miles
Wednesday - Harry and I bailed on our evening run -- it happens
Thursday - 4.15 miles
Friday - 3.38 miles
Saturday - 4 miles
Sunday - 10.37 long run miles (I dropped Windy off back at the house after 7.05 miles)

Windy miles = 22.7 miles
Tiffany miles = 26.02 miles

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for their weekly wrap link

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Are you a Pandora listener? Favorite station for running/training? For chillin'?

Tell me about something new that you tried recently! Did you like it?

Have you ever had a traditional Thai massage? Tell me about it!

I won't give up. -- #TOLT

2018-01-25T05:07:00.000-06:00

Hiiiiiiiiiii! I figured seven random things might be a nice change of pace around here, ya' know?

Because this blog isn't random enough.

1. I'm always amazed at what my students can do. They are MACHINES! We have regular fitness testing (you may remember it, depending on what state you're from!), where our students are asked to do as many push-ups, curl-ups, PACER test laps, and sit and reach as far as they can. By testing four out the five fitness components (muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility), we can better ensure their physical literacy learning.:)

(I love my job.)

2. Day three of enjoying the mac and tomato soup for lunch this week. I won't give up. Ever.

P.S. I wonder if I'm just randomly obsessed with Apple products...? Those are two different keyboards to two different Apple computers in the background.

3. A little snack and some good reading later during my prep at work. Three Cuties = a full serving. I cut back a little.

4. Teaching Badminton to my sixth graders has been my most favorite unit so far this year. We set up the volleyball net yesterday so they could play "Ultimate Badminton"; when it was time to tear down and get ready to leave, they threw an absolute hissy fit because they didn't want to stop playing.

(Have I mentioned that I love my job?)

They wanted to play "Boys Vs. Girls", which I am usually fundamentally against. Buuuuuuut, I want them to be happy, so... ¯\_(😄)_/¯

5. Um. Windy sleeping while hugging her back legs is probably my most favorite thing of all time.

6. I absolutely adore that I can mention one small *need* for chocolate to my husband, and HE IS ON IT. LIKE IT IS HIS PURPOSE IN LIFE, *ON IT*.

7. I started using essential oils (Young Living) almost a year ago. I do not use them every day, and I'm pretty sure that this is the first time I've mentioned it on the blog. I'm a casual oiler.:) ANYWAY, I absolutely love this diffuser. It turns pretty colors and it will last about 24 hours if you fill it up all the way.

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This randomness is brought to you by our lovely Amanda!

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IT IS THURSDAY -- what's your workout for today?

Do you have any weekend plans coming up? A race? Travel? Nothing at all (for once)?

RANDOM (because, why not?) -- What was the last movie you saw in the theater?

I Spy on Windy and a Race Picture

2018-01-24T05:07:00.004-06:00

Windy and I were LIT (not like...how we know it now) during our run yesterday morning. My vest, headband, and Windy's harness and hands-free leash are extremely reflective! I wonder if you actually *could* see me coming from a mile away.

Snow had started falling probably an hour before we head out. We lap around the nearby park, and coming back around, I saw only our tracks. Guess no one else was interested in going this way.

Aw.<3

A little over four miles done, and I was hitting the TriggerPoint roller. My calves and hammies have been extra tight for a while. I've actually never tried working on myofascial release right after a run. I'll let you know how this goes after a bit.

Then it was off to work, where my fourth graders are working on their jump rope skillz. We were also working on checking our perceived rate of exertion, so I think they realized just how hard they were working.

Kinders were much more low-key with some Yoga.:)

Harry and I got the Furbo just before Christmas. It has been PRETTY interesting, spying on our pup throughout the day. I can talk and listen to her, and can also send her treats. I think she's a fan, too (about the treat part, mostly).

LUNCH = mac n' cheese and tomato basil soup. The snow had stopped, but the temps were dropping pretty quickly. It was like 54*F the other day -- it was 30*F at this point.

I taught my first and second graders, then worked with my sixth graders on Badminton. They looooooove it!

I head home right after school, got a ton done around the house, and started on dinner. I found these at Costco and ohhhhhmyyyygoshhhhh. We're the biggest fans! They're uncooked tortillas -- you just throw them on the griddle or pan, flip when they get bubbly, and blammo. They're SO fresh, non-gmo, organic, and just downright delicious.

Ummm, hung out with Windy for just a minute while dinner was in the oven...

Harry got home, and dinner was ready shortly after -- green enchiladas (I made five enchiladas, keeping in mind that Harry would have three, and I'd get two -- I changed my mind at some point and we went splities on the fifth ench) with Spanish rice. PERF for a Tuesday.

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Just a couple of FYIs:

If you ran the F^3 5K or Half Marathon last Saturday, they have FREE RACE PICTURES UP! I came out with some decent shots, which really never happens.:)

And a pretty good photo of us at the after-party (left to right: Jeff, Harry, Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!, James, and Michael). We're a pretty good-looking squad!

Also, ICYMI!!!!!!!! Our Suz had Yoshi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex and I are so excited to introduce you to our daughter Emilia Clare Lemmer. She was born at 7:04 Am on 1/23/18 (her due date) at 6 lb 14 oz and 20 in. . . Emmie's birth was in typical Suz fashion -> getting it done with a few cards thrown in there, but overall it went very smoothly and i will have her birth story up soon! I am sitting in our hospital room right now listening to her breathe (still workiing through some boogers) and just in amazement of what the past year has brought us. . . Thank you to each and EVERY one of you who has been a part of our journey through life via the blog, social media, and in real life. Thank you for the love and support, the encouragement, curiosity, and real talk. We, I, couldn't have done it without you and the reminder to keep our eyes on the various goal posts. . . To our families, there just are never the right words. But I will try to find some of them by the time you arrive! . . For now, though, I'm going to go sit on an ice pack (glorious) and order food (ps the chocolate chip cookies here are SO GOOD). Xoxo #lemmerzoo #emiliaclare #babygirl #firstfamilyphoto #gratefulfor

A post shared by Susie @ Suzlyfe (@the_suzlyfe) on Jan 23, 2018 at 11:56pm PST

Have a FANTASTIC Wednesday, friends! I'm going to be stalking your bloggies, as well as Suz's insta for more pictures of Emilia, formerly Yoshi!
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Do you have an intention set for today?
-I try to set one every day, and really seem to stick to it. If you haven't done this, give it a try...it really makes a difference in your day.

How about a workout/training session?
-Yoga this morning, and running with the /R/iver /R/unners this evening!

Do you take good race pictures?
Nope. Not usually.

Three Birthday Highlights + Goals for This Age

2018-01-22T06:12:00.001-06:00

Hey, good morning and happy Monday!

Let me say this real quick (as though reading required a finite amount of time): I do not usually make my birthday a big deal. However, I've had a change of heart over it; nothing major, just pointing it out before the actual day happens is a huge leap for me. I'm not even sure where this stems from, other than just not wanting a ton/an ounce of attention (?).

At any rate, I'm talking about it now, lol. Here are a few things that stuck out during what ended up being a pretty low-key birthday --

1. Windy and I went for a 3.8 mile recovery run. My legs felt fine, after having ran the half the day before. It was warm -- ugh, 43*F. Windy ran with her tongue dangling out of her mouth nearly the whole time.

After hitting my first 25-mile week in what *HAD TO BE* months last week, a 20-mile week (with only three runs) felt pretty good. I'll bump it back up this week.

All of the snow and ice melting = Windy gets pretty dirty. She cleans herself after we get done with our runs and walkies, but I seriously need to give her a bath this week.

While we were running, Harry ordered me some birthday breakfast!

I had to get a ton of work done for school, and laundry. I actually adult'd on my birthday ---- is this what "old" is?

2. Harry and I took off to dinner around 5:30pm, and my Mom text me, right at the moment I was born. Awwwww!

3. Dinner at Kuma's. Harry knows how to treat/feed/celebrate me. We started off with fried pickles.

And their mac n' cheese of the month -- THIS PLATE HAD TO HAVE WEIGHED FIVE POUNDS. It had their house Mac & Cheese blend with Angus sirloin Philly steak, Caramelized onion, Sautéed mushrooms, Smoked Provolone, Giardiniera.

I ate maybe five bites and I was full.

We came home and I had more homework to finish *sad trombone*. We had a rare brew to celebrate my day, and I mosey'd off to bed. It was a solid day, and all I really needed. All of the messages, calls, texts, and Facebook posts made my day!
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Let's talk about goals for this age. Harry asked me about this while we were at dinner last night, and I figured that was *blogworthy*. I wrote about my goals for 2018 (HERE); to me, even though my birthday is so close to the new year, I like to make goals for my age. I only really have two for this year:

This year, I NEED TO GET MY SPEED BACK.

As I said in my 2018 post, THIS WILL TAKE A TON OF WORK. A ton of GRADUAL work. I know that by the middle of the year, I will have a solid base, upon which I can rock that speed.

I also need to get my strength back! As a former bodybuilder and heavy (not necessarily *POWER*, but close enough), I haven't rightly learned how to build strength as a runner. I'm practically starting from scratch. It'll be interesting. It'll be tough. Like me. (lol)

So yeah, that's pretty much it. I want to focus on getting back to where I was, pre-injury, and for the love of Pete, stay there. I'll have to restrain myself at times; I won't get anywhere if I'm not being smart and get myself injured/sidelined again.

Thanks for reading! I hope that you have a WONDERFUL day!:)
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Do you make new goals for your age?

Tell me about the last delicious thing you ate!

RANDOM: What color are your running shoes?

My last race at this age -- F^3 Lake Half Marathon 2018

2018-01-21T09:00:00.001-06:00

Hiiiiiiii! How are you doing today?

Newsflash: It's my birthday. My wish is for you to have an absolutely wonderful day!

Yesterday, Harry and I got out to the F^3 Half Marathon for a couple of hours of *running-along-the-Lakefront-in-what-is-most-likely-F'ING-FREEZING-FROZEN* funsies. That last part (the F^3 part) wasn't the case this year; however, you're more than welcome to read my recap from the first time I ran this race in 2014, where the polar vortex moved in as we were running it!

With a 10:00am start, I could hang out most of the morning and watch some quality Netflix -- sometimes I get the hankerin' to binge a particular show. It varies between "Friends", "30 Rock", and "Scrubs".<3 ANYWAY, I got caffeinated, hydrated, and started getting ready to take off. I checked the weather and was slightly pleased to see that the temps weren't in the range of "Freeze your face off".

I took Windy for a nice, long walk before we left. She loves to get all of the smells of our neighborhood.

While I was out walking the pup, Harry was getting ready to run -- all Chicago'd out. This kid is proud of his city, and loves the design of the flag. Maybe a little too much? Nah.

Not seen -- a wristband of the flag.

I opted for nostalgia for my apparel.

Right off the bat, here are a few things that I noticed, comparing this year's event to that of 2014:

There were pace groups (which I don't typically take advantage of, but it's nice to know that they're there)
There was a list of mile-marked aid stations (there was much more support now, too!)

OBVIOUSLY, a pretty major course change from Montrose Harbor to further south down the Lakefront Trail, starting at Soldier Field
A nice, cozy place to warm up before and after the race and gear check, in the United Club of Soldier Field
A nice bonus: Some nifty discounts were made available for other local races and wellness venues as part of the swag.
Post-race party at a local spot, Kroll's
Post-race activities and perks in the United Club -- i.e. vendors and massages
The race directors and staff were VERY, VERY supportive in helping everyone navigate around The Women's March. This event was ENORMOUS last year, and F^3 wanted every racer to feel comfy with regular updates.

Now, my mindset going into this race wasn't that of a race mindset at all. Much like the St. Jude Half Marathon we did last month, I was treating this like a glorified long run. I had been sick nearly every weekend leading up to this event, and thusly haven't properly trained for it. I did a 10-miler last weekend to see if I could hit up this race at all, and felt relatively *okay* after it. I did get a weird pain in my hip, which I foam rolled to death; it still worried me for most of the week. Friday, I made the decision to go forward with the 13.1. The hip felt fine, the foot (post-injury) felt fine.

Getting from the north parking lot to the start line was a cinch. Harry and I are the worst at getting to races early (we have been the last two across the start line at two different race events), so we didn't get to enjoy all of the pre-race fun.

The race started on time (YAY!) and in waves, which is always a nice thing. Everyone heading out onto the course at one time is often nerve-racking and overcrowded.

I took in the gorgeous scenery over the first few miles. Though it had warmed up just a tiny bit, there were huge ice blocks on the lake.

Around mile four, I spotted something strange...hilarious...brave...and I decided to pass it...

Most of us @f3eventschicago half marathon runners are focused on what the temps will be like on race day. Concerns about running past a #TRex? Not so much. Great race day; and my last run before turning a different age (TOMORROW!❤️❤️❤️). #runchi #running #halfmarathon #seenonmyrun

A post shared by Tiffany (@thechiathlete) on Jan 20, 2018 at 1:25pm PST

MY FAVORITE THING TO HAPPEN in any race where Harry and I are both running, and has an out-and-back course, is getting a high-five from Harry. I knew I couldn't miss him, wearing all that awesomeness.:)

BAM.

The aid stations had Krā available in small cups, and water in paper cups the size you usually find at most races. The first time I took the Krā, I found that it was VERY salty and concentrated. After that, I *Irish car bomb'd* it with the cup of water. I had completely forgotten to bring any Gu with me out onto the course. This water + Krā strategy got me through the 13.1 just fine.

There were a couple of moments where the course had to go off-road for a moment; but other than that, it felt very supported. There were so many volunteers out on the course, and so many people out there cheering for runners and walkers. It was a pretty great race day!

13.1 in 2:07:22. A lovely long run.:)

Finish line nutrition was right on! I *needed* that banana, and I sipped on the huge bottles of Krā and water they provided.

Harry and I found fellow /R/iver /R/unners, James and Jeff, whom had also rocked out their races, and we head over to Kroll's for some post-race food and beer. Michael, who had volunteered at this race, joined us shortly after we were seated.

I got the Chicago burger, which was fine.

Honestly, it has nothing to do with the race event itself, but this spot didn't seem prepared for the mass of hungry and thirsty runners. We had what seemed to have been two different servers, both seemed to be confused about their role for our table, and we ended up spending more time there than we had wanted. Don't get me wrong: We understood that people were probably overworked. Knowing that this was the post-race spot endorsed by F^3, we figured things would've been more organized. *le shrug* We got our beer, we got our decent food.

We all took off, and heading home, I figured a nap was in order. I took an awesomely warm shower, and Harry and I hung out with Windy for the rest of the day.

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As for today?! I'm going for a run with Windy, relaxing a bit, enjoying everyone's smiles, and being taken out for my birthday dinner by Harry.

Also? I'll leave this here.:)

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What's your favorite TV show to binge-watch?

Do you wear fun things in which to race? Tutus? Outfits? Themed?

I'm one year older: Give me life advice. Anything will do.

NYD5K, and five things I want to do in 2---0---1---8!

2018-01-03T08:49:00.004-06:00

We all love a fresh start, and that's what a new year feels like.

For no real reason at all, mind you. Our "new year" could begin any day. There's something so satisfying about committing to a new attitude about life and things we want to accomplish when it's on *page one of 365.*

With that said, I started off my 2018 with some solid work in -3*F for the New Year's Day 5K.

This was my third time to run this 5K. You can't beat the price, and it starts at 11:00am. This gives us a chance to bust out some New Year's Day miles, and then head over to Rev.

This is from my first time running it -- it was pretty much the same weather conditions this year. Only about 100 people showed up. It's saying a lot when my ~28:00 5K makes me 8th female overall.

While running in the cold is always favorable to running in the heat for me (and soooooo many others), at some point, it's very uncomfortable to run. -something*F is pretty uncomfy. I was pretty happy to see the finish line.

We didn't waste any time getting to the car after finishing the race. Harry and I got back to the car, and then were off to scoop up our friend, Jennifer. Jenn's a fellow Texan, but we met up here via running. Running brings us all togetherrrrr!<3 Here's a shot of us from 2016 NYD5K.

As per mine and Harry's NYD tradition, we were off to Revolution brewpub for good food, good beer, and good convo.

My usual Breakfastman Burger with home fries. Heaven.

Needless to say, the rest of the day was pretty chill. Talk about starting off the new year on the right foot.

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Let's talk about some very generic goals for the year real quick. I have five overall things that I want to accomplish this year, now that I'm finally healthy and heading into the new year. We'll get into more specific stuff later. I know...you just can't wait for that.:)

1. STAY UNINJURED. I really mean it. And the following things that I list will help facilitate how, but for real, this is my biggest priority this year. And every year thereafter, for crying out loud.

P.S. I don't even know where this boot is now. And I'm going to keep it that way.

2. Create and stick to specific training cycle plans. As it stands, I'm in a microcycle that exists solely for getting me back to a state of volume. What I have failed to do in the past is recognize and respect the rules of training, with direct relation to training cycles (periodization). When building up to, and recovering from races, it's key to vary your training intensity. Different distances call for different training routines. There really aren't THAT many differences, but what is important is to respect your body and allow for volume, intensity, and recovery in timely manners.

I will not be running a marathon this year, but I have several half marathons all set. I am looking forward to finding a marathon next year! You can check out my current racing calendar here!

3. Eat like I mean it. I enjoy food soooooooo very much. Just like my training, I need to eat in cycles that makes sense to my body. It needs fuel, not a LOT of pizza.:P Stricter eating won't happen for a bit, but I'm definitely going to be mindful of adding veggies to my regular diet.

This deliciousness was from Shalane's new cookbook, Run Fast, Eat Slow. I'm going to do a review of the book sooner or later.:)

Alllllsoooooo, she RT'd me the other day, and it made my life.

4. PR. PR, PR, PR. It's going to take A LOT of work to PR 8K, 10K, and a half this year. I'm down for the challenge. To be honest, a 5K PR scares me too much to try for it; I had marathon training mileage going on the last time I PR'd my 5K (22:54). I would like to try for that next year.

(This picture isn't even from a race where I PR'd -- it's probably the only decent race picture [where I don't look like I'm about to sneeze, or 11 seconds from death] I have of myself.)

5. OMG RIDE MY BIKE. I have a VERY nice bike! It's SO PRETTY! Lola deserves to be ridden! Whether it's outside or on the trainer, I'm hopping on my beautiful investment a lot more this year. She and I already shook on it.

SO YEAH. That's all I've got for right now! I'm still on winter break, and we go back to school on Monday. I've enjoyed the downtime, and am started to get the house and my life together today. Or I'll just keep watching "Jersey Shore" on Hulu and do all of that tomorrow. We'll seeeeeeeee.

Accurate:

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How did you start off your 2018?

What's one generic goal you have for this year?

Going to the movies in PJs.

2017-12-11T05:55:00.002-06:00

Hey, friend! I'm still working on my St. Jude Half Marathon race report; I'll get it to you tomorrow! Spoiler alert: It was fun!
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I have some Windy updates:

She loves running in the snow.

LOVES.

She broke her weekly and long run distance PR this week ------> 18.12 miles, with 7.44 miles for our long run! Honestly, when we first got Windy, I didn't know that she'd make it past intermediate distances; three to four milers was all I figured she'd accompany me on. She is well on her way to rocking real long runs with me, with double-digits in the near future!

Also, apparently she likes to cool down in the snow, too.

A shot from our run on Sunday. It was pretty cold, but so gorgeous out!

Harry had something fun planned for us yesterday -- 12 hours of Christmas movies at the theater around the corner from us! Sophs and I decided that it going to watch Christmas movies in our PJs was the right thing to do.

A few hours later, I had to drop her off with her Mom. Sophia has always ridden in the backseat, and I noticed that she'll hop in the front seat of her Mom's car. Since it was just her and I, I asked her if she wanted to sit with me up front.

And then I had to document the occasion.:)

I hit up TJs after dropping off Sophia. I only realized in October that they make holiday-related dog treats. We'll see how Windy likes her gingerbread men cookies this month.

My bulletin board at school. I will never, ever stop being a dork in this department! Yes, I am a P.E. Teacher, and I don't really get a ton of evidence/work to show (though I do have my *FITNESSGRAM* board that I've made to look like INSTAGRAM, and I take pictures and throw on filters of my students rocking out their fitness testing). I still decorate because it's funsies.

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Monday - REST
Tuesday - 3.2 miles
Wednesday - 3.18 miles
Thursday - REST
Friday - REST
Saturday - 4.3 miles
Sunday - 7.44 miles

18.12 miles total for both Windy and I. I gave myself some extra rest, after having my longest run of the year in the previous week. I'll make it back over 20 miles this week.
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Do you have any life updates to tell me about?

If you celebrate the Christmas season, do you have your tree and lights up?

--We just put everything up this past weekend!

Nourishment, and on a scale from 1-10...

2017-11-28T04:47:00.001-06:00

Windy and I came across the house with the best Christmas lights in the whole 'hood yesterday morning. I'm in awe at how productive people become the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Sooooooooooooo, I was babbling yesterday about my worry...about what it seems to be my lack of joy, as of late. (Thank you for the sweet words, by the way!) I've been listening to this audiobook for a minute, and struck it up for mine and Windy's walkies.

I honestly started thinking that I just should've sat on my hands and not posted about the things that are bothering me, and instead should've just listened to this. The content I was listening to seemed to be Tiff-scheduled; it pinpointed my current challenges and gave me a ton more insight. Go figure.:)

I'm going for some 100% nourishment: body, mind and soul. Oatmeal, pb, and 'nanner is the best way for me to start my day.

Lunch called for soup and salad. I put WAY too many greens in a small bowl and didn't have enough room for my turkey, bacon and avocado, so I sheepishly skewered my fork through the good stuff, and added the greens on the end of the fork. Tomato soup on the side to warm my soul a bit.

I always sweeten the deal with some of this yumminess topping my salad.

I was pretty much on cloud 1000000000 at this point in my day. My classes went smoothly, I felt majorly productive (a.k.a. busting my booty during my prep instead of sitting down and doing nothing), and my food game was savage.

I got home, hugged Windy, and made myself a snack.

For those of you counting, I ate 78.2% of an avocado up to this point.

UMMMMMMMMM THESECAMEINTHEMAIL and I KNOW that I've never been more excited to throw something in the washer!

Windy and I were the only ones in the house for the night; Harry (IT IS HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY!) was out with a buddy. So, I got to climb into bed with those flannel sheets on it for the first time and it was Heaaaaavennnnnnn! ~~Some~~ A huge bowl of Harry's leftover turkey chili was dinner, and I called it a night.

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If I had to rate this month on a scale from one to 10, I'd probably give it a 7.2. It has been my highest mileage month for 2017 (I'll end up with ~80 miles), and while training has been way more solid, I've been a total hot mess express.

I'm lucky. I need to say/type that. I love that my dog blesses me with her presence on four out of five of my weekly runs. It's awesome that I can still put one foot in front of the other without any pain. I'm thankful that my healthy lungs keep me moving forward, and that my legs will carry me.

Prediction: December is going to be a 10.:)

Linking up with Patty, Erika, and Marcia!

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Have you put up your Christmas decorations? Do you wait until a particular day?
-December 1st for me!

Have you ever had flannel sheets?
-They've never been necessary for me, as a Texan. I can't believe I waited four and a half years after moving to Chicago to get some!

What was your favorite meal/snack from yesterday?

How would you rate your November?

"It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small..."

2017-11-27T04:42:00.002-06:00

P.S. You can't judge me for quoting a line from a song from "Frozen"!

Stay with me, here: The upcoming post contains some slightly heavy stuff. 94.3% (realistically) of the time, I am happy, outgoing, and excited about life! BUT AT THIS VERY MOMENT, I'm going through a ton of reflection. #SorryNotSorry I gotta get all of this out somewhere. You're a pretty good listener/reader, so you'll have to be my outlet.

Let's start off with something that has become EXTREMELY obvious to me: I have been so very anxious. Over everything. True story. I know that we all worry about everything + random things + things that never existed + things we cannot control + things we did a LONG time ago, etc. Maybe I'm at the point where I'm kind of realizing it, and even worse, that it may be affecting me.

I don't lose sleep that often, and it's been happening a bit lately. I started thinking about how active I've been, about how low-energy I am, and how my recovery has been shoddy (my legs feel a little heavy when I'm not training).

I was pondering about all of these things while I was out doing my long run yesterday (as we usually do!). Am I worrying to the point of it physically affecting me? Is that even possible? Because seriously, when I get home, I hit the couch like it's my second job. I'll go for meals that take very little prep time, if any at all, and I feel soooooooo lazy about that. Simple tasks get put off, because I feel exhausted.

I'm making some changes, nutrition and training-wise, so I'm hoping that I get a bit more energy soon. I feel like I'll need some major mental and emotional renovations before I can let go of some things that bother me. I know that's probably the story of everyone's life; I've never really considered stress maintenance before, and with the end of the year right around the corner, it probably feels more overwhelming than usual. I have a small, short plan, that I can elaborate on later.

What I NEED to focus on (in short):

Staying healthy and getting stronger
Being an awesome Physical Educator for my students
Being a fantastic human to Windy, and wife to Harry
Keeping my house clean (I'm being very humble about this -- it's never as clean as I want it to be)
Doing things that make ME ME ME happy!

What I NEED to STOP worrying about (just a few examples to give you the idea of what I'm legit concerned about as of late):

HONESTY: Letting people down. I love everyone, and I know that everyone loves me. I don't have to worry about someone not liking me, nor do I have to worry about pissing someone off or awkward social interactions.
Traffic -- Chicago Traffic. Who the frick cares how long it takes me to get from point A to point B? I have to get there, so why is it a big deal?
Not doing the right thing. I'm serious. That's something DUMB to worry about, and whether I do the wrong thing or not, I'll take into account every detail to make the best decision.

I'm working on that plan now, and even started thinking about it during my run yesterday. Six of the 11.26 miles were with Windy -- that's a distance PR for her! This is my longest run this year, and I felt a lot better after sorting through some of my *above* thoughts.

*Cue the line from "Let It Go"*

ALSO -- We are taking off this week for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon weekend -----> I'm doing the half. It's going to be hilly, and seeing as how I'm pretty undertrained, I'm planning on taking it slow and low. Getting a little over 11 miles made me feel secure about getting the distance done.

Chocolate milk and a 'nanner + chapped lips + creepy eyes, post-run.

And then this feast for lunch...ohmygaaaaaaaaaaaash. Turkey breast, smoked bacon, and avocado on toast is my NEW FAVORITE combo for a sammich! I had the best mini-nap after eating this. And I dreamed about this sammich.

Windy, PR and all, was out for about 80% of the day. FYI: She was snoring when I took this picture. <3

The other 20% was spent begging and high-fivin' (or ten) for some noms. Dogs: They get hungry after runs, just like us!

(Side note: Look at her tail. She's balanced like a kangaroo.)

Harry made some turkey chili, using Lone Star as a base. It really was the perfect way to end the long break.

Have an awesome day, friend. I'll send you hugs if you send me some, too!
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How do you handle stress, friend? For real.

What was dinner for you last night?

Do you like to hang out and chill when you get home from a long day, or do you get busy with other things?

Weekly Recap ---> Double Digits.

2017-11-06T05:01:00.000-06:00

This past week was pretty danged awesome. It was the end of the quarter for our school, and thus, was a fun week for all (I like to close things out with major funsies for all of my classes so they know I really love them).

As far as training goes: IT WAS ON LIKE DONKEY KONG. I feel like I'm getting my spirit back, and it's overwhelming and awesome and everything positive that I have been missing in my life for a while.

Monday morning brought on some SPIN. Spinning or cycling is very important for me to do after a solid running week (I run Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - Sunday); I keep it light for the most part to work out the yuckies in my legs.

Snapchat posts happen often, since it's usually such an easy ride and I get a little bit bored.:)

Last week of my health class for the 8th graders = closing out our social wellness unit with watching "Mean Girls". I have a pretty awesome outline of questions that they have to follow and answer to get cred. I know -- toughest teacher of all time.

Tuesday (Halloween) morning included a 5K run with Windy. You'd think that all of the running that she does would slow her down. And you'd be dead wrong. Girlfriend isn't fazed. ALSO? She's getting faster and is completely enabling me wanting to get fast feet.

We rushed home and got her in her Halloween costume! I didn't even care that I was running a tad bit late to get to work; getting this picture was worth it.

Chicago gets extra dreary and gray during this time of year. Yes, the leaves are pretty, vibrant colors, but the skies will remain overcast for what feels like forever. This weather calls for a lot of tomato soup, and a lot of comfort food.

And yeah -- it was Halloween...and my students like to feed me...

Windy had a vet appointment (no worries -- she just had a booster shot!), and I decided that it was best if I took her for a long walkies around the nearby park to get some new smells.

Wednesday AM was another 5K run for us.

And some chill time in my gym. A nutrition specialist from the University of Chicago comes by every Wednesday to teach our students about their diet and how to improve it. I usually use this time to clean things and plan more, but opted to chill and listen to the lesson.:)

Right back to the mac.

Thursday, I did something ridiculous...something I haven't done in a quite some time...

I swam. I hit the pool with gusto I didn't know I had. I haven't swam in ummmmmmm months. The good news is that I still know how to. 1500 yards -----> done.

I don't know about y'all, but SWIMMING MAKES ME HUNGRY. ALL DAY HUNGRY. RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY ALL DAY. That one scoop of peanut butter was like one of ten.

But I saw this and wasn't very hungry anymore. #gag

3.2 with Windy. There's no slowing her down!

Until you get some new cookies from TJ's...

Our first run in the daylight happened on Saturday afternoon. I had been at work all day, and while I would generally just come home and relax and enjoy the rest of my Saturday, I came home and threw a harness (that was Kayla's, my first Husky) on Windy and we took off for another run. She pulled me the entire time!

Windy WooWoo closed out her running week with 13 miles.

Sunday (happy Daylight Savings, parents!) morning brought my longest run in over a year and a half. Double-digits, y'all.<3

Of course, this was the highlight of the day! #GORUNNINGBAE! "F#@$ YES!"

A hot bubble bath and a book for the remainder of the morning was the way to go.

It was finally time for chili to happen in this house! Harry made some beef chili with red and green peppers, kidney beans, tomato sauce and all of his spices. I LOVE days like this!

And I totally would've taken a picture, but there isn't a camera on the planet that would make it look "tasty". Just take my word for it: It was delish.

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Monday - 45 minute spin

Tuesday - 3.1 miles with Windy

Wednesday - 3.14 miles with Windy

Thursday - 1500 yards in the pool

Friday - 3.2 miles with Windy

Saturday - 3.6 miles with Windy

Sunday - 10.03 long run miles

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Did you watch the NYCM?! All of the feels, right?

How did your week go, friend?

Current book you're reading?

Egg nog, dairy or not: YAY OR NAY?

Weekly Recap & Pairings

2017-10-30T04:46:00.001-05:00

Heyyyyyyyyy! How are youuuuu? I hope your (last) week went very well -- it seems like several of us blogging--runners are in a rut with running, blogging, or both. *Group hug* because for real, we're all in this together. I'm hoping to read some great news from y'all today, and if not, I'll read as a *listener* (sometimes that's all we need -- someone to just listen).

Last week went pretty well for me. I'm not sure if that 10K got the stick out of my butt, but I had a solid training week. Windy had a wonderful week, too, in smashing her weekly mileage PR!

Monday started off with a solo spin with heavy climbs.

And it was finally cold enough for me to open up my hot chocolate drawer at school! Work husband and I enjoyed a cup during our prep -----> perfect.

RANDOM but AWESOME pairing:

Tuesday morning brought on a rainy, cold run with Windy. 3.17 soppy miles, and Windy didn't even mind getting all wet.

Another awesome pairing:

Wednesday was another Windy run.

Thursdays are my rest day, and thus, are all about the giggles.

Friday was finally here, which left Windy and I with another 5K.

It was also our Halloween fun fair at my school! Specials Teachers (me on the left, work husband in the middle [he's 6.5], and our Art Teacher on the right) stick together on things like this: We were Rock, Paper, Scissors this year. For some reason, I thought that scissors should look angry and raw!

Windy and I got up early to rock out a four-miler. It was so crisp and beautiful out, and I believe I spied a few snowflakes.

Harry cheered me on from home. <3

My second job = a sports administrator for my school district, so I get to go to all of the fun things on the weekends, such as our City Championships for Cross-Country.

Most of these days include a lunch I can eat right out of the box, and Starbucks doesn't disappoint.

We had Sophs this weekend (though we didn't go ANYWHERE -- Harry was feeling crummy, I felt pretty cold, and I think Sophs just felt like being lazy), but we kept with tradition =

Hot chocolate + "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". I felt like expressing my true feelings for Lucy by way of Snapchat.

Sunday morning was to bring my longest run in quite a while, and finish out my biggest weekly mileage week in over a year. I figured that this called for a totally new playlist.

So much Olafur Arnalds. He's my music bae.<3

It was cold and sunny outside, and the new running tunes did their job! Feeling motivated and strong after I finished, I celebrated (after taking a looooong, hot shower) by taking two naps over the course of four hours.

What do you think we should pair with this? A tasty stout? Steamed milk? Double up with hot cocoa?

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Weekly Workout Recap!
Monday - 45 minutes spin, with jumps, hills, sprints, and jogging out of the saddle.
Tuesday - 3.17 miles with Windy
Wednesday - 3.1 miles with Windy
Thursday - REST
Friday - 3.1 miles with Windy
Saturday - 4.1 miles with Windy
Sunday - 7.53 miles

TOTAL: 21.01 miles
WINDY MILES: 13.48

Really the only thing that was missing was a Yoga sesh, to which I will definitely make time for this week.:)
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What were your miles like this week?

Is it cool or cold where you live?

Let's get real and talk about food: FAVORITE kind of cookie?!

Our Wisconsin Weekend & The Haunted Hustle 10K Race Recap

2017-10-26T05:52:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, Harry and I hit up the state to our north, the land of beer, cheese, and Packers fans for the Haunted Hustle!

Saturday morning, we head out to a trail that was a few minutes away from our hotel for a shakeout run. Wisconsin never disappoints when it comes to running/walking trails!

There was a Little Free Library at the trailhead, and I saw some pretty good reads in there! Can you spy a Matt Fitzgerald book?:)

We took off and settled into a good pace. It was actually quite warm at this point (ehhhh, 75*F or so). I don't know about you, but it's been a little aggravating seeing so many gorgeous fall colors happening and no cool weather to pair it.:\

I.e.

I had one more mile on the agenda than Harry, so I took a different route after we hit his mileage. This trail had planks the whole way.

Kinda beautiful.

Without hesitation, we hit up a pub in Madison for a burger...

...and fried cheeeese curds!<3

I need this sign in my life.

ohmygosh@my burger. It was so stinkin' good.

Harry's was pretty legit, too.

Also, I love how we could care less about whether or not we offend people with our running smells... (we didn't really smell that badly, but still)

PACKET PICKUP! It was a little expo with some local goods/love/sponsors and the essentials.

We hung out for the rest of the day, getting homework/work done and just relaxing.

Race day -- the Half Marathon began at 9:00am, and the 10K at 9:30am. Ummmm, that's pretty awesome. I was *really* worried that I was wearing the wrong apparel. I had figured that it was going to be cooler (and that 75*F run the day before was messing with me). It turned out that I was wearing the perfect gear for this day -- gloomy and drizzly, and 53*F at the start.

We made it out to the race site and everything was so neatly placed and organized. The race announcer was entertaining, and of course, there were a ton of really awesome Halloween costumes being worn. I've never worn a costume for a race, and I wasn't about to start on this day. Maybe some other time...(?)

SNAPCHAT RACE SELFIE.

We took off right on time (yaaaaay!) and I started to gauge where I was at, pace-wise. I didn't really have a plan for this; if anything at all, I figured it'd just be a long run. Technically, I haven't run this distance in quite some time. I'm *STILL* working on a base and trying to maintain it while staying healthy (we'll talk about that in the next post). I realized I was running at an 8:40 pace at mile one, figured that felt kind of good, and decided to stick with it for at least the first half of the 10K.

I hit the 5K mark at 27:27 -- about an 8:42 pace. I restarted my watch and started to take it easy. Three+.1 quick miles was enough for me.

Though I didn't take it as easy as I thought I would. This race claims to hold a fast, flat 5 and 10K -- mehhhhh I wouldn't call this "flat", but I also wouldn't call it "hilly". It had many rollers, some gentle, some were a little harsh. I honestly THOUGHT about slowing down, and really tried to. For about a mile and a half, I was drafting one guy who probably thought I was a jerk. I wasn't trying to be rude, dude...I just liked your pace!

I just eased back into my pace and enjoyed the scenery. A lot of the race was on trails, which were littered with dead, crunchy leaves, and surrounded by beautiful colors and foliage. The drizzling rain was still going, but it was off and on. It felt nice, but not when it affected the surface of the little bridges on the trail -- they got extra slick.

A downpour started around mile 4 -- that was interesting. I felt my left foot flip quickly (turnover) while going over one of the bridges and realized that I needed to move my gait forward to keep from falling. A few puddles and a couple more miles later, and I was done. The second half of the 10K left me at 28:03 -- not the biggest difference, but with a total time of 55:39 (just under a 9:00 pace), I was pretty pleased with myself.

The post-race party was a blast! They had a ton of salty snack foods, bananas, oranges and water -- they were very generous with all of it.

I got back to the car and told Harry how the race went. In true form, my husband pointed out that I still have that *grrrr* in me. And he's right (don't tell him I said that, though). I do have the *UMPH* in me -- the thing that pushes me to run until my heart feels like it's going to explode, to run through the feeling of my legs about to fall off (lol I know they won't), and my lungs slightly singeing. I've been wondering where it went, but it's still there!<3

Now that I've found that little chunk that I feel has been missing, I'm looking forward to more purposeful training. Before, I felt so *blah* with putting each foot forward. I feel like I was --MAKING-- myself get out there, having to give myself pep talks, getting pep talks from my husband, and *WOO WOOs* from Windy (her version of a pep talk).

My regularly scheduled training is back in full effect.:)
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Where was your last trip? Road trip?

There are so many awesome Fall season shows on right now! What's your fave?
ME:

Do you have any Fall or Winter races coming up?
(Ugh, that reminds me -- I gotta update that page!:)

Impress Yourself

2017-10-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

I did Yoga Wednesday morning. It was humbling. How is that even possible? #PlotTwist

The truth is, while being injured, I figured that any movement may have caused my injury, so I skipped most of those movements. Yoga, swimming (yup, even swimming), running, and cycling (for the most part) were out of the picture, as per my podiatrist. Even the elliptical was iffy. I didn't get the green light to do anything for about six months (about four months longer than I had anticipated/was told when deciding on the path of recovery by the podiatrist). I did jump on the bike after getting the go-ahead, and while my motivation was high, I felt weak. Pretty weak.

It's not like we don't all go through this phase at varying times in our training. We could see this as an "off" day, a tough workout, an "I don't wanna/I'll find any excuse not to...", an acclimation, etc. Sometimes being taken back to the very beginning is just what we need. I have the knowledge of being at square 10+, but the fitness level of (what I would consider, in comparison to my former fitness level) square one.

Silver lining: I really know what it takes to get back to where I was.

My ultimate goal at this very moment is to get back into shape, the fit shape that I know. I have bigger/crazier goals than this, ones that scare the crap out of me, but we can talk about those later. I'm not even sure how they're going to come about, but they will.

So for the first time, I peeked through my old Instagram. "I used to do that!", "I was so on!", "How did I do that?!" = all of the phrases that rolled through my brain as I looked at numbers, Yoga poses, and finish times. I impressed myself; well, to be more specific, my current self was impressed with my former, fitter self.

Do you ever do that? It's kind of fun to look back on one great time, a beautiful finish, a perfect day, and realize that it was the BEST. I even found inspirational quotes and memes that made me smile. While I was trying to motivate others at the time, I didn't realize that I would eventually need them for myself.

For example

#Pride and #Faith. From #RevRunWisdom

A post shared by Tiffany (@thechiathlete) on Jul 28, 2014 at 8:07am PDT

Well this is enough babble for one day. Thanks for settling in while I work through my thoughts and feelers on all of this. It takes a while for me to process things, especially when those things have affected me this much. I get to run a pretty fun 10K this morning here in Madison, WI. Here's to one run closer to my goals, and impressing myself once more.:)

@hauntedhustle 10K tomorrow morning! Looks to be a gorgeous day.🎃❤️🏃🏼‍♀️ #hauntedhustle #runhappy #brooksrunning #runWI . . . . #sweatpink #fitapproach #fitfluential #girlsgonesporty #running #10K #runchi #runchat #werunsocial

A post shared by Tiffany (@thechiathlete) on Oct 21, 2017 at 6:38pm PDT

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Tell me about a time you impressed yourself! The more positive, awesome things, the better!

Training for today? Long run? Relaxing?

BIG PLANS FOR THIS WEEK?!
Rocking it out = Definitely on my list!

Halloween Decorations + A Spin Workout!

2017-10-18T06:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday, bloggie friends! I hope that you're having a wonderful week thus far.

Windy sure is. Girlfriend gets like four 30-minute walks, or three 30-minute walks and one run, each day. So this is her in the morning:

And afternoon:

These two times of the day might be my happiest and most calm. I love walking and running with her in the morning, and walking her in the afternoon just seems like a great way to unwind from my day.

Side note: I know that this is cliche as all getout, but I can't wait to run with my Husky in the snow. She'll probably be way better at it than me.

As for me thus far, Monday morning started with a solo spin. I wasn't completely alone in the spin room for once; there were a few people chatting while working out. It was nice! I had my headphones in and watching "Will & Grace" on Hulu, and couldn't hear them, but I could tell they were having a good time.

BECAUSE I didn't feel like listening to music (?!!!! this doesn't really happen ever) during my spin sesh, I didn't have songs to apply certain spinning segments (i.e. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones = best climbing song of all time). So I came up with a five-minute interval plan. Here ya' go!

It's basically five minutes on, five minutes fast. Remember to keep resistance on the whole time -- no one should be riding on "0"!:)

Harry and I tried something new: this snack before dinner. Not the snack part -- it was like an appetizer -- but it was...interesting...

...addicting...and interesting...try it. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday morning, I took a blurry selfie while out on an easy three miler with Windy. Good grief, she is getting faster as the weather gets cooler. She tries to pull me for a little while at the beginning of our runs, as I yell "I'm not a sleddddddd!". She eventually slows down and evens out her gait.

Favorite snack ever? I don't know. But it's a classic, and it totally hit the spot.

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In case your week is going kind of crummy, here are a couple of things that make me happy -- maybe they'll put a smile on your face.:)

My buddy Becky over on her Insta, inspiring everyone, and always making me smile!

And from the Runner's World magazine Instagram -- THANK YOU.

People who decorate their homes for Halloween rock my world. These houses are around my neighborhood -- it's awesome knowing that I live next to such festive friends.

Spooooooky!

And now that the weather is finally getting cooler (sorry, Suz -- that snow is well on its way), I feel like I can embrace all of the autumn things. It's tough to do that when it's 80*F out, so I'm happy that the weather is finally coming around!

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What is your favorite season (not necessarily to run or train in, but just enjoy overall)?

Do you decorate your home for Halloween? Yes, a Jack-o-latern totes counts.:P

How are your training sessions going this week? What's up for today?
-YOGA- for me! My calves are a little tight, so I'm sure they'll appreciate a good stretch.

Life Things + One Rant (HI, AGAIN!)

2017-10-16T04:52:00.000-05:00

Good gosh, I miss you guys. Like, often. I might snap a dumb picture of my food and think "My blog friends would love to see this...right? I mean...right...yes...maybe...when I get a minute, I'll show them...", and then bam -- life happens, and I deprive you of said picture.

Ummm, on a related note: Windy likes pumpkins.

While I do catch up with you guys every once in a while, I have yet to readily blog about things as of late. Everyone has a life, with life things, with life happening, and life blahs. I know I'm not special (well, I kind of am...just like you!). I have no real excuse for being away, and that's okay. We'll just pick up from where we ended...

Work = awesome. I'm a rockstar at work. This has been my year of "no"; that sounds terrible, but let me explain. I have taken on too much work in the past -- too many titles, too many projects, too many side projects, too many help offerings, too many events, too much "yes". I've worked myself into a corner for the past few years, and I finally had enough to say "No, thank you" to some things.

I get the misnomer: The P.E. Teacher doesn't have to do as much as classroom Teachers. I don't have to do the SAME things, but that doesn't mean that I don't work as much! I teach ENHANCED Physical Education; that means that I do not roll out a ball and expect students to entertain themselves, nor do I push students to participate in elimination (DODGEBALL...It has NEVER BEEN PLAYED IN MY GYM on MY WATCH) games. I integrate math, science, and literacy into every lesson for grades Kindergarten through 8th Grade. I most likely teach things you never learned or encountered in your "gym" (PLEASE call it "PHYSICAL EDUCATION"!) class. I work my butt off to ensure that my students walk out of the doors of our school with the knowledge they need to make amazing life choices pertaining to their health. I take my career and my job titles very seriously.

Also? I like to cheer up my Kindergarten students with Snapchat filters when they're feeling blue.

/rant

That word "no" has been pretty powerful. I mean, I'm not a brat about it. I'm solution-oriented, so if I have to decline participation in something, I'll still attempt to help find someone else to fill the spot. It's pretty cool when you realize that it's okay to say that word to your Administration/Boss/Leader, and they understand.

As my husband says, "Happy Wife = Happy Life". We don't even see each other nearly as often as we used to, what with an additional title that requires my attention on Saturdays (I'm an athletic coordinator for two networks in my school district) and things that occupy our weekday evenings. We're good, though!

Windy is EXTRA great! She's running with me (about 11 miles per week for her), and she just had her first vet appointment (under our care). Her new vet and their staff totally rock. And Windy is negative for all of the yucky things. She's a very healthy girl!

(She heard a kitty meow from the other room when I was taking this picture, hence the head tilt.)

Running and cycling are happening, but (of course, there's a "but") I have some things going on. There's nothing wrong with my foot, but there's nothing great about my foot. The top of my foot and ankle keep getting stiff, and even if Eric the Acupuncturist works on it and loosens it up, it gets stiff again within a day or so. I'm still trying to figure out an action plan; I know it involves some Yoga and swimming!

Harry and I were talking earlier yesterday afternoon, and I've come to the realization that I do not put fitness where it should be. I CANNOT EXPLAIN TO YOU how this happened. It was happening before I got injured. My priorities have gone rogue, and I wish to do a million things at once. Wish = it never happens. I make a plan, and fail in followthrough. I've always preached that the more prepared I am, the less failure occurs. And that's MAJORLY true for me. I am a machine when I feel like everything is in its rightful spot.

With that, I cannot explain how my plans fall through. Last week, after spinning in the morning, leaving my gym bag with a fresh set of workout clothes for some afternoon lifting in my gym locker, with the full intention of going back to the gym to get that afternoon workout done, I waltzed into the gym, got my bag out of my locker, and left. Without even guilt-tripping myself. Without reminding myself of why. I knew that I still needed to lift, but everything in me said "Nope -- get your bag and leave." Just a bummer.

I'm wondering if this is a phase. Have I trained and trained and now I'm just not motivated? I make excuse after excuse, and KNOW that I'm making those excuses when I shouldn't. I have been better than this before. So what's so different now?

These are the ramblings of a crazy Tiffany. I just can't. I'll figure it out, and I'm serious, add some insight if you have any! PLEASE. I'm befuddled by my lack of...well...wanting to take care of myself. It's the strangest, and I dislike it. One thing I know to do is change what I dislike: A change I've made is taking a break from Facebook (I'm still on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat). There's too much going on at the moment, and I feel like I get sucked in so easily. I'll probably go back once I feel like I have more control over things.:)

I'm gonna end this weird blog post with two things that I currently love, k?

Go get these from TJ's. Now. If you don't have a TJ's nearby, send me your addy and I'll send you some. <3

I'm the last person on the planet to use Audible.com. I got a free credit (you can, too, if YOU are actually the last person to use it:P), and totes bought the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone audio book. The cooler weather kicked in today and really got me in the mood to listen to it! And with a 45-60 minute commute to work, and another 45-60 minute commute home from work, listening to books is a much better option for me.

Y'all have a great week, and I'm off to read all of your bloggies to see how your life is going!<3

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WELL?! How are YOU doing? Big plans going on lately?

Do you use Audible.com? What are some of your favorite audio books?

What's a misnomer about your job? I'm REALLY sure that we all misunderstand until we're in each others shoes!

Quicksand (HI!)

2017-09-18T12:26:00.000-05:00

HI! How are you doing today?! I'm fan-damn-tastic, going into our third week back to school, and rockin' every single day.

Quick question: If you could eat the same breakfast every single day (let's be honest, that's totally doable), what would it be?

MY ANSWER:

Eggs and avocado are LIFE. So is breakfast. I could actually make a haiku about all of this.

Runs with Windy are still happening. To be honest, with the schedule change and all, the runs have almost been exclusively with her. Plus, I think she gets really irked at me when I don't take her with me. She's staying around 10-11 running miles a week.

BACK TO WORK! I feel SO GOOD about this school year, like I'm in a terrific place in my career.

Here comes the part that I *really* need to tell you about: I honestly feel like since last year, I have been treading water when it comes to staying on top of things. Everything seems rushed, not calm, very "*snap snap snap* it needs to get done now". EVEN with a summer break, I didn't really feel rested.

Monday through Friday, I'm working *basically* two jobs (on top of being a P.E. Teacher, I'm also a network sports coordinator for my district -- a part-time job), creating awesome lesson and unit plans for my students, still working with the new pup, still coming back to running, fitness things, and anything else I add onto the pile (cleaning, laundry, etc.). Did I mention I'm also working on my Masters? Six hours per semester on top of all of that.

Saturday, enter me

By Sunday, I'm back up a little bit, and ready to just keep my nose above the quicksand. Every move I make, I sink a little lower. Just -- so much yikes.

SO -- I need to combat this, for my own mental and physical health. I'm attempting to be as preventable as possible, which might make one think that you're just moving one thing to replace another; but over time, it'll keep me at a moderate pace.

For instance

Yesterday was all about prep for the week, including grocery shopping, making a daily dinner list, some light cleaning, etc. I even washed my hair *GASP* last night to keep from having to rush to do it today (or just ummmm...not wash it), and if you know me, you know that's HUGE.

I packed my gym bag, and somehow remembered everything. I think I'll make a small, laminated (because I LOVE TO LAMINATE) checklist for my bag -- we're talking prevention here, people.

I gotta get back to being me, and it shouldn't feel like an uphill battle to do so. So here's to an awesome week! ROCK IT OUT, y'all!
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Do you have a tough time staying on top of things?
-Really, yes...I feel like I go through waves of responsibility...

What's for LUNCH TODAY?
-Chicken Fried Rice from TJ's, and broc, doused in soy sauce. <3 <3 <3 #ILoveSodium

Goodbye, Summer Break, & No Matter What!

2017-07-19T04:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a distance PR for Windy! We went 3.32 miles without her slowing down. Granted, it was 59*F out (!!!!!), so I'm sure that once Fall and Winter hit, she'll be running more miles than me (jk).

NBD -- Just #running with my #direwolf. #werunsocial #runchat #teamstark #GoT

A post shared by Tiffany (@thechiathlete) on Jul 18, 2017 at 8:31am PDT

We got home and I plopped down after grabbing some breaky (a repeat of the day before), and got started on what will be the thing I do for the rest of my summer break: Watching the snot out of this show.

For real, tho. Mary Janes. Mias. Bangs. OVEALLS. Toad the Wet Sprocket. Flannel. Doc Martens. Hemp necklaces (on guys). Hootie and the Blowfish. Frosted tips.

*le sigh* I miss the 90s.

THE TONGUE.

Harry had taken the day off from work (he seriously can't remember why, lol), and at one point, we started discussing some future race plans. Jeff (fellow River Runner) had mentioned that the St. Michael's Oktoberfest 5K was open again this year. This is my PR 5K race from 2014! I will not PR this year -- I ran 22:53 on this course, while in peak marathon training. For me, more miles = PR smiles.

We're going to sign up for it, because it's a great race, a fun course, and a fun time.<3

P.S. The registration fee is only $30 *UNTIL AUGUST 15TH*

And here's a shot (from their race video) of me, where I look like I'm exactly 11 seconds away from death.

Lunch was SO GOOD. I had some delicious salmon, salad, and brown rice ++++++ avocado. Bless. I want that meal every single day.

More of the Creek throughout the rest of the day, turkey burger + broc for dinner (no camera in the world could make it look nice; so just take my word for it -- it was yummy), and then I received my daily reminder.

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Ohhh man, I don't know about y'all, but I need motivation non-stop at the moment. All of you provide an immense amount of motivation and inspiration in the bloggie form, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. I need more words sometimes, and I came across some really good ones recently.

Can I share just a few with you?

K.:)

One from my personal SHE-ro.

NO MATTER WHAT! This one is my favorite!

Get out there and rock this Wednesday, friend. I'm off to BootCamp class -- wish me luck!<3
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Do you have to be reminded daily to do something fitness/running related?

RUNNERS: Do you attempt to PR certain courses?

MOTIVATE ME! GIMME A QUOTE or a STORY!:)

When coming back from a break, be sure not to overwhelm yourself!

2017-07-18T05:22:00.000-05:00

Miss Windy and I started off our day yesterday by going for a long walkies. On days where she doesn't run with me, I make sure to get her out for several long walks throughout the day. Siberian Huskies = high energy. High energy = destruction if bored. Plus, it's kind of not fair. Not getting her out and about would be like locking up a toddler in a small room with nothing in it. She deserves to have adventure and to be able to stretch her legs. Once my school year starts, I'll be using a dog walker service to make sure she gets her outdoors time when I'm not home.

Now I've never claimed to be a food blogger (and I never will), but I am a food expert (I love food so much -- that makes me an expert). Kodiak Cakes waffles and pancakes SO GOOD. I like to top my K-Cakes with non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt (TJ's is my fave), and some fruit.

I plopped down and nom'd on this while stalking y'all. My Monday morning was pretty low-key, but inspiring.:)

*le sigh* Please believe me: I didn't put that pillow there. Almost six weeks of being her human, and she surprises me every single day with something kind of cool.

The rest of the day was spent toward some laundry, some school work, and some relaxing.
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(SOURCE -- LOVE HER!)

I've been feeling *really* overwhelmed when it comes to my training. I can't help but compare myself to...well...myself prior to this injury. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. How I woke up every morning and conquered the world. I've gotten better at waking up and getting right to what I need to do -- lace up and move out, and that seemed like a long road. Going to spin or other classes hasn't happened yet, but I'm working on that. I have to remember that this is a process everyone goes through when coming back, or even beginning a new fitness routine. I used to remind my clients when I was a personal trainer that no one woke up one day and could do all of this. It takes time.

Soooooooo, to combat the overwhelming feelers, I made some goals! I've broken them up, for very obvious reasons:

Small goals (a.k.a. Things I can control NOW)

Drinking roughly 150-175 ounces of water a day. This is my usual, and has been for many years. This is one small, daily goal that I can pat myself on the back for reaching when I hop into bed at night.

Puffy eyes are in season (allergy season, that is). Just sayin'.

Side note: Yes, I'm wearing a hoodie during summer.

Fitness Planning (beyond running) -- Once I was cleared by my PT, I slowly (...) but surely started off with running a couple of miles every other day. I went from three running days to four, and over several weeks, moved up to five (and that is only recently). Five running days is my magic number. On top of this, I'm planning out Yoga, swimming, spinning, and bootcamp classes, which will be attainable for me to keep up with come September.

Nutrition -- Something I can definitely control, and can even experiment with at the moment! Allowing myself to try out new snacks and foods during a glorified off-season training cycle will help me gauge some ebbs and flows with energy throughout the day.

Remaining hopeful --(and speaking of nutrition, heh) -- Knowing that I can get there again is so lovely. It most definitely won't be this year, but I can always look ahead to next year. My imagination is going bananas with so many race ideas.

REALLY TRY to not procrastinate -- In the grand spirit of not overwhelming myself, staying on top of things (feeling complete) and not taking advantage of time is probably the best gift I can give myself.

Big goals (being realistic here!)

I am pretty realistic when it comes to racing goals. I'm not particularly into lofty or outrageous themes when it comes to my training. For what is rest of this year (I cannot believe it's July -- seriously), I am focusing on distance only. I am not out to get a PR in any distance race. If it happens, no matter how unlikely the odds are, then good for me! But I'm not adding the stress of hitting specific tempo paces or heart rate zones.

We're hitting up Madison in three months to run the Haunted Hustle Half Marathon. That gives me plenty of time to build up my mileage and get to the starting line HEALTHY.

On top of the Haunted Hustle Half Marathon in October, I've added on one more half to my racing schedule: We're going to Memphis in December for the St. Jude Half Marathon!

So those are some things I'm dong presently. I've always thought that it was pretty important to document big ideas and thoughts, fears and loves, etc. I hope this didn't bore you too much.:P

Linking up with Patty, Erika, and Marcia!

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What are your BIG GOALS for the rest of this year?! A race? Healthy goals? A fun event?

Runners: What is your "magic number" when it comes to running days?

Random: FAVORITE FRUIT?
-Banaaaanaaaaas!

Windy learned something new, and now I've seen everything

2017-07-17T06:59:00.002-05:00

My new favorite thing is to chill with Windy out on the rooftop deck while sipping on my morning coffee. She waits so patiently for me to get ready to take her for a run.

That is, until I grab my running shoes. She gets SUPER STOKED and HYPER when she knows we're about to go for a run! I kind of wish I got that excited. 😆

All of that excitement must have made her aware of a couple of things. For one, she SPRINTS at crosswalks -- does she know that it's dangerous to be in the middle of the road? -- and two -- she learned how to use the water fountain like a human. I'm seriously more impressed than I can express in words.

I missed a running day last week (I didn't prepare for a thunderstorm + having to go to a work thing), so 16 miles for me, and nine miles for Windy. She'll get into the double-digits some day. I don't want her to get hurt, so running with her every other day is our plan for now.

Fact: Half of an avocado belongs on just one slice of bread.

After finding every excuse to not do school work, I finally buckled down, threw on some Olafur Arnalds (good Lord, if you haven't listened to his music, go listen NOW! He writes songs for my soul...), and got to work. I was NOT in the mood to do any of it, but I got most of it done before "Game of Thrones" came on.

Harry and I are very celebratory with movies and TV shows, and pairing beer with them.

Mariano's chicken pot pie -------> YUP YUP YUP YUP YUP YUP.

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How about some Monday motivation?

Also? I thought joggling was impressive, but now I've seen everything.

Have an awesome Monday, friend!
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Do you watch GoT? Did you watch last night?

What's your workout for today?

Can you juggle? Like, at all?
-NOOOPE. I've tried. I've learned how. I cannot. I'm okay with it.

The anatomy nerd in me is freaking out.

2017-07-16T06:21:00.000-05:00

Before I startle you with my fantastic day (lol), I want you to throw this onto your running playlist. Yup, it's an old song, but if you have never run to it, then you absolutely must.

My goal was to make it to this bridge. I knew that it was a little over 3.5 miles (marathon training up and down this route made me very aware of every mile marker), and though six miles was what was on the schedule, I opted to go the extra mile. Everything felt great, so I decided "Why not?".

I ran past this van and thought it was pretty freaking cool.

Cooler than Monica and Phoebe's on "Friends".

Before I knew it, I was done with seven miles, and felt pretty darn good about all of them.

It ended up being a progression run, and this is something I really need to be careful of in the future. I always end up speeding up at the end of my long runs -- it's like I just want the dumb thing over with or something.;)

I got home, and this little girl wanted to go for a walk. I think she was kind of irked at me for not taking her for a run with me. She's really been getting hyped before we go out for the easy threesies.

I drank half of this smoothie before thinking about taking a picture of it for you.:P It contained one banana, tart cherry juice, organic almond milk, frozen red raspberries, and Vega Sport Recovery.

Harry went to pick up Sophia, then they head over to his family's house for a while. Windy and I hung out and attempted to be proactive.

Dinner was a giant burrito and elote from Cochinita ------> Chicago [northside] peeps ------> try it out if you haven't been there yet!

And for dessert?! Horchata rice crispies!

We were all stuffed and snuggling happened for the rest of the evening.

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Random, but I want a five of these cubes. Four for the school, and one for me at my house. I <3 <3 <3 anatomy so much! Sorry for nerding out, but I know some of you will understand.:)

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Sunday plans?
-GAME OF THRONES! GAME OF THRONES! GAME OF THROOOOOONES!

Do you have any vacation plans coming up soon?

Do you foam roll? When do you like to do it -- before or after your training?

What makes me feel complete

2017-07-15T06:37:00.000-05:00

Hiiiiiii! How are YOU?! I've been okay, just hanging out for the summer, but I seem to be way busier this summer than in previous years. Lots of appointments and whatnot going on.

Yesterday morning, Windy and I hit the streets for a few miles. It was 68*F, so she got a little hyper at the beginning of our run. She usually settles right into a good pace with me after .25 mile or so, and she stays on my left side. Perfect furry running buddy!

I opted for having breaky on the floor and stretched a little bit more. I'm looking for classes that my gym will offer for strength training, and I want them to be able to be consistent when school starts up again.

I showered up and took off to my first errand for the day: Getting poked by Eric, the only person on this planet that can be my most favorite and least favorite person at the same time (not because of the needles...those don't hurt! It's the very focused attention on specific areas he's massaging). Chicago running and athlete peeps: Check out PranaJaya for massage and acupuncture! Eric is VERY knowledgeable, and has been extremely imperative in my recovery and healing from my foot injuries. As of late, he's working on my right femur being...well...internally rotated. I have some work to do, myself, and I'll get into that in another post.

Lots of poking was done. Eric will place some needles in my right hand for my left foot (!!!!!!) stuff. Fifteen minutes later, and I no longer feel tender spots in my left foot. Kiiiiiiiiiind of bonkers.

After acupuncture, I hit up Costco. Days like this work out perfectly, because I can get a good meal on the cheap without having to make another stop.

LOTS of produce and a few other things later, and I was on my way to TJ's for *regular portion* things.

I have to say that I'm really, really happy to be purchasing from the pet aisle once again. So is Windy, I'm sure.

THIS WATER is my FAVORITE.

Harry had worked from home yesterday, which meant that it was just him and Windy. We're still not sure what's going on with how she perceives him, but this happened when I was gone for a while. We're getting a trainer to work with us on this.:)

Also, sorry for the portrait view -- Harry was only taking video to inform me/give me a giggle, so he didn't think to landscape it.

Once I got home and put everything away, it was time to get some school work done. I have two papers due on Sunday that I still need to work on today. I'm REALLY loving this! I also love it when everything is DONE...it makes me feel so complete to have meals and snacks ready to go for the week.

Dinner! I picked up a Take n' Bake pizza from Costco, and suddenly had a hankerin' for ranch dressing. I'm actually surprised that this picture wasn't more blurry; I was pretty hungry.

I'm currently getting caffeinated and ready for my scheduled six-miler (taking things SO SLOWLY!). HAVE AN AWESOME WEEKEND!<3
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Are you a dog person, or a cat person?
-I'm an animal person, but I totally dig BIG dogs more than cats (and little dogs).

Do you have a long run scheduled for this weekend? How far are you going?

RANDOM: Know of any awesome summer sales (besides Nordstrom) going on?

I've faced tougher times...

2017-06-26T06:27:00.002-05:00

True story: This is the third time I've written this post. Blogger must be hungry.🙅

The past month has been the busiest I have been in a looooong time. There was something, or several things, each and every single day (even weekends). We're talking grades, coordinating track and field and soccer events and teams for my Network, lesson plans, Field Day, fundraising event, Sophia, my own [grad] classes, end of school year stuff, and puppy contracts.

The below picture is a wonderful visual representation of how I've been dealing with all of it. Stressed, exhausted, confused, ignoring simple things (i.e. plucking my eyebrows or getting my hair taken care of), and barely holding it together. Bottom line: I haven't been taking care of myself. My WHOLE self.

But whatever. There's a cute Husky sleeping in the background.

P.S. Don't worry: I did put on makeup when I had to be around other humans. I trust that you won't take offense that I didn't gussy up for this.

The self-care part is the trickiest, but it's also the most meaningful: I haven't been taking care of myself in several ways, including training consistently. I have always been an athlete. Not always a runner, but always someone who enjoyed the snot out of happy endorphins. Somehow, fitness and all things health-related went straight to the back burner when times got really tough.

I have been inconsistent in training since...well...last year. I miss taking care of my FIT self. Skipping a workout before this injury was 95% out of the question; if I missed a training sesh, it was because I was sick or needed more rest. I made time to train before exams, finals, work, meetings...everything! I needed it, and nothing kept me from my joy.

Unfortunately for me, I have fallen out of the habit of attaining my joy.

Can I still run? Yes (still thankful for every stride!). Can I still ride? Yes. Lift? Yoga? Yes and yes. But do I lately? No. My motivation button seems to have been jammed. I'm facing tough times in terms of my health and not maintaining it like I always have.

What I need to do at this very moment is to remember that I've faced tougher times...like running being taken from me...

I know what I need to do, and I'll go into that in another post. What I have actively done is sign up for my first half marathon for 2017! No worries -- I'm not out to PR, especially in the shape I'm currently in, going into training for that distance. I'm all signed up for the Haunted Hustle in Madison, Wisconsin, set to go off October 21st. Wanna come run with?!:)

Again, I'm not going to go HAM on this race. I'll set a goal once I'm closer to race day, but for now, I'm going to ease back into a regular training plan. Really, the race itself is just an end result to getting my joy back.

After all's said and done, I'm just like anyone else, and if I've had it once before, I can get it back.

So here we go. Tiffany's finally ready to take care of her whole (fit) self. The fit life is where it's at, man. And I'm ready for it to be one of my biggest priorities again.

Are you pumped with me, friend? This one's for you, ya' effin' rock star! Go kick ass this week!

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Tell me about something that motivates you!

The Chi-Athlete

Day One of 365

My Stash. My Rut. My New Year.

Called Out, and I'm *THAT* Human

Beets and Gifts -- Weekly Wrap!

I won't give up. -- #TOLT

I Spy on Windy and a Race Picture

Three Birthday Highlights + Goals for This Age

My last race at this age -- F^3 Lake Half Marathon 2018

NYD5K, and five things I want to do in 2---0---1---8!

Going to the movies in PJs.

Nourishment, and on a scale from 1-10...

"It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small..."

Weekly Recap ---> Double Digits.

Weekly Recap & Pairings

Our Wisconsin Weekend & The Haunted Hustle 10K Race Recap

Impress Yourself

Halloween Decorations + A Spin Workout!

Life Things + One Rant (HI, AGAIN!)

Quicksand (HI!)

Goodbye, Summer Break, & No Matter What!

When coming back from a break, be sure not to overwhelm yourself!

Windy learned something new, and now I've seen everything

The anatomy nerd in me is freaking out.

What makes me feel complete

I've faced tougher times...

Called Out, and I'm THAT Human