Tag: marathon

How Weight Loss Is Like Marathon Training

I’ve been thinking about running Space Coast Marathon quite a bit lately, about all the hard work I put into it and what an accomplishment it was for me. From to deciding to do it, train for it, remain injury-free throughout, and cross that finish line on race day…. It was and still is such a huge deal for me. Almost three years later and I still am so proud of myself for running endless training miles and finishing those 26.2 miles. And then last night that I realized how similar training for a marathon and weight loss really are…

 

weight loss like marathon

 

You have to really want to do it. 

No one is going to sign up for marathon if they don’t want to really do it. You have to be in the right headspace and mindset to not only commit to running a marathon, but to train for it week after week. 
You have to train for it.
Running a marathon means weeks and weeks of training, following a plan, making changes along the way as needed, keeping track of your miles, and more. Weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle is very similar. To be successful, you have to plan ahead for your meals, make adjustments along the way, keep track of what you’re eating, and more. There are workouts to plan, rest days, cardio and strength training, and more. All just like a marathon.
You have to have the right gear.
When I trained for my marathon, I had two pairs of running shoes. One for long runs and one for short runs. I also had favorite running shorts, sports bras, and tank tops. I had my running watch for tracking my time and miles. Having the right gear was essential to keeping me comfortable and being successful. Weight loss is the same way. Without the proper tools, you are cutting yourself short. Meal prep containers, favorite healthy snacks on hand at all times, water, My Fitness Pal app to track my meals, lunch bag that lets me carry several meals and snacks if needed, a gym membership, a trainer who motivates me, and more. Now, not everyone needs all of these things. I know what I need to be successful, others may not need the same. But in committing to a healthy lifestyle, the better prepared you are and the more support you have, the more it pushes you to keep going. 
There will be bad days.
Not every run is fun or even good. Stellar runs that make you want to jump for joy at the end can be hit and miss. It feels like sometimes all the stars have to be aligned for that to happen. Just like in weight loss… You will have bad days. You will wake up one morning, ready to tackle the day, stick to your calories dead on, and knock your bootcamp out of the park. The next day you may wake up and want to eat the entire kitchen and not get off the couch. WE ARE ALL HUMAN. It’s okay to have a bad day. Just remember that the next day is your chance to start again and give it your best.
A partner makes it better.
While I am not opposed to running alone, I like it much better when I am running with someone. When I trained for my marathon, only about 10% of it was solo. The rest was spent with hubby running or riding his bike by my side, or running with Corinna as she would eventually decide to run the marathon with me. We had a common goal in mind and it made the miles fly by. Weight loss is the same way. It’s much easier to do it with someone. I am very lucky that hubby and I decided to make a lifestyle change together. While I calorie intake and weight loss goals are different, we still keep each other accountable and support each other every step of the way. Doing it alone would be hard and boring. 
You realize how strong you are.
When I started training for my marathon, I knew I had 18 weeks of running 4 days a week ahead of me. My friend Beth gave me great advice and I am so glad I listened. Just take it a week at a time. Don’t focus on that 20-mile run you will have in Week 16, just focus on each week. It helped so much to think of that. Week by week, mileage was added on, and I realized that I am stronger that I thought I was. I could put in more miles than I imagined I could. When it came time to run our 20-mile training run, we were ready for it. It was just 4 miles longer than the previous long run. Looking at it that way was a lifesaver for my non-stop brain that always finds something to stress over. Weight loss is the same way. No matter what your end goal is, just take it a week at a time. Celebrate each victory along the way and you’ll realize that you can do what you may have thought was impossible. 
It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
Everyone wants quick results. But in weight loss, it’s just not possible. I want to lose weight and keep it off. I don’t want it to find me again. While I can’t wait to get to my goal weight, I am doing it smart, taking my time, and focusing on small goals. I will get to my end goal eventually, but it won’t happen quickly. I didn’t set out to run my marathon crazy fast, my goal was to get through it and finish. I set three time goals as training went on. First goal was to finish, second goal was to finish under six and half hours, and the third goal was to finish under six hours. My end time was 5:58:06 and I was ecstatic. With my weight loss, I another short-term goal set for summer and a big goal set for the end of the year. 
I am still excited about our weight loss journey, the strength we’ve found in the gym, and what is still out there to learn. We have goals we are working towards. Training and running a marathon was a life lesson, a very personal one. Weight loss is the same…. I know I’ll cross this finish line as well because I know how determined I am. 

Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Races

I’m so excited to talk about my top ten races today because I just got the most awesome pair of running shoes ever and I hit the pavement this morning for my first run since finishing my 100 day run streak and busting my baby toe. It was so nice to get out there.

 

top ten tuesday

 

I don’t have any races planned until the spring, but I am running a fun run this weekend with hubby and bestie. It’s a small local run, pumpkins and all, so it will be a fun way to get a 5K in. 

On to my top ten favorite races… Not necessarily based on how I ran, but the races themselves. Ready, set, go! 

 

10.   Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot 5K – Running with hubby and friends the morning of Thanksgiving just minutes from our house is a favorite tradition. And always makes me feel better baout how much yummy food I’ll eat later on. 

9.  Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon  –  My first ever half marathon was Rock N Roll in 2012 in downtown St. Pete. Such a fun course and while it was incredibly hard given that it was my first half and I was totally winging it, I loved it enough to go on to do 14 more half marathons. 

8.  Women’s Running Half Marathon – My second every half marathon that I mostly walked the first year due to my sciatica and then PR’d at the following year. 

7.  Santa’s Twilight 5K  –  I really wish they kept this race at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin. Running in the cool weather, at sunset by the beach, is pretty amazing. The course was off one year, it was short which through off my PR, but I still loved dressing up for it. If they moved it back to Honeymoon Island, we would do it again.

6.  Iron Girl – This race makes me happy  because it takes me over my favorite bridges and Clearwater Beach. It’s challenging but I love every minute of it. 

5.  Gasparilla Distance Classic  –  Pirates, Bayshore Blvd., and Tampa love makes this a fun race. I’ve done the 8K and Ultra Lime Cactus Challenge (8K and 15K). I am on the waiting list for the Ultra Challenge in 2017 to do all 4 races. It would be a HUGE challenge, but I am up for it.

4.  Sarasota Half Marathon –  I love this race because it takes you through St. Armand’s Circle which is my favorite part of Sarasota. This is the first half marathon I ever ran under 3 hours and it made me so happy. They also have dolphin medals which I love.

3.  Best Damn Race Orlando – Starts and ends at beautiful Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, I enjoy the route for this one. It also helps that this event in 2014 was and still is my PR for a half marathon!

2.  Space Coast Marathon – One and only full marathon was at Space Coast in 2014 and I loved every minute of it. The course took us back by the start at the halfway point, we saw a beautiful sunrise, great support throughout, and a lot of spectators.

1.  Best Damn Race Safety Harbor  – Forever and always, my favorite event because the first year was on my birthday and who doesn’t want to have a race medal with their birthday on it? I run this race every year, I’ve done the 5K, the half marathon, and the 5K / 10K challenge. Being a Best Damn Race Ambassador is pretty awesome and I have met some wonderful people because of it. 

 

And because I want everyone to enjoy the fun that is Best Damn Race, don’t forget to use my discount code NANCIC to save $5 when you register! 

 

bdr-banner-discount

 

What race is on your top ten list? Hop on over to Run.Chew.Sparkle to see her Top Ten list too!

Win an entry to Best Damn Race!

If you’ve been following my blog the last few years, you know how much I love Best Damn Race and being an Ambassador for it is pretty fabulous. As we inch closer to the end of summer and all this heat, we have race season to look forward to and that means 4 events coming up! To celebrate the fact that it’s now August, I am giving away an entry for Best Damn Race!

 

16228_10204948298498766_747093405151732748_n

 

But first, here’s a reminder of how awesome this event it. These are all reasons you should run Best Damn Race!

  • Best Damn t-shirt
  • Best Damn finisher medal
  • Best Damn Health & Fitness Expo
  • Best Damn goodie bags
  • Best Damn post-race party
  • Best Damn PR Bell!
  • Best Damn entry fee (structured based on number of entries!)
  • Free beer, food, and massages
  • Free race photos

 

Here’s how you can enter, some of which you can do daily to earn more entries! One random winner will be chosen on August 15th. You can select any city and any race distance except the 5k/10k challenge.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

BDR 2015 2015 code hq

 

Don’t forget, if you don’t win the free entry, you can always save $5 when you use my discount code NANCIC to register. Good on any race, any city. 

National Running Day, Best Damn Race, and a discount code!

Running has played such a huge part in my life the last few years. And while I have not been running as much lately, it still holds a very special place in my heart.

Today is National Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, it is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. If you go to the website, you can design your own bib to share on social media or wear on a run. Here’s mine…

 

Screen Shot 2015-06-02 at 4.32.19 PM

 

In honor of National Running Day 2015, I wanted to share with you my top 10 reasons why I love Best Damn Race, who I am lucky to be an Ambassador for for the third year in a row!

1. The people. It really is a race for runners, by runners. The time and dedication put into this event is what makes it so great.

2. The courses. With events in Safety Harbor, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Cape Coral, there really is something for everyone. Safety Harbor, being practically in my backyard is my favorite because it’s along the water and there is sure to be a beautiful sunrise. Orlando is a very close second as the course starts next to Lake Eola and goes through neighborhoods with cobblestone streets.  

 

10978695_10204948306778973_7301413780881143710_n

 

 

3. There is a race distance for everyone. You can run a 5K, 10K, the 5K/10K challenge, a half marathon, and if you’re in Cape Coral, a full marathon. I’e done the 5K and half marathons in years past. For 2016 in Safety Harbor, I am excited to run my first 5K/10K challenge and the chance to earn 3 medals!

4. Awesome bling! I love the design of the medals. They vary per city and are a reflection of each area. It would be hard to pick a favorite, but last year’s Cape Coral medal would be high at the top of the list.

10353624_650374408407193_4630301125426854894_n

 

 

5. The registration process. One thing that Best Damn Race does that is different from many other events is the pricing structure that offers a chance at $1 entries if you are one of the first in line. Even if you don’t score the $1 entry, you can still save money. The current price structure is available on Best Damn Race for each city.

6. Free food, beer, and massage. Crossing the finish line has an added bonus of enjoying an ice cold beer, food, and massage. That’s a pretty sweet deal!

7. Free race photos. This perk is HUGE. I’ve run a lot of races and rarely do I buy photos because they are so expensive. But, Best Damn Race works hard to be able to provide free photos for runners to celebrate a fun event. (**BDR is currently working with each event location to provide free photos).

8. The race shirts. I love adding to my race shirt collection and for two years running, my Best Damn Race half marathon shirt is my favorite. It’s a long sleeve shirt and is perfect for cooler runs in the winter. All shirts are tech t-shirts and fit great.

9. The weather. Best Damn Race knows when to put on a race. I love running in the cooler weather and we luck out with that for the four events.

10. The FUN! It truly is a fun event. Whether it’s your 1st race or your 50th, it is a great time with great people. It is also walker-friendly. You can walk or run these events – everyone gets the same medal when they cross the finish line.

 

10987389_10204948302658870_1251205839208735611_n

 

Registration is currently open for all 4 upcoming events. Here are the links to each city.

 Be sure to use my discount code when you register and save $5 off ANY race in ANY city!

 

11263023_10205649346944539_662675257032513367_n

 

 

Happy National Running Day! How will you celebrate?

Saying goodbye to 2014…

I am a total sucker for year end posts. Celebrating the good times from the year as it comes to an end, reflecting on the times that maybe were not the best but made me grow a little more, and looking forward to the new year ahead.

I really thought 2013 was the year of running, but 2014 really was. I set PR’s and tackled the very scary goal of training for and running a full marathon – something I never thought I would do.

Best Damn Race Safety Harbor 2014 (PR!!!!!!)

Best Damn Race Orlando 2014 (And another PR!!)

Sarasota Half Marathon & Relay 2014

Friends, lights, and more at Electrodash 5K

Iron Girl Half Marathon 2014

A Father’s Day 5K

Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure

Space Coast Marathon

Santa, an Elf, and the Best Damn Race

 

I earned a whole display full of awesome medals for the year….

 

10850220_10204549883498640_8275554066201644885_n

 

 

There was also non-race related fun this year….

The one where I talked to Jessica Simpson about Weight Watchers

Happy 3 years! It’s my blogaversary!

Family time…

Vegas Vacation!

I Run 4 Daisy

Dance, dance, dance!

A Visit with Winter & Hope at Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Dolphin Tale 2

 

10003006_10202790502955226_1587778856990186170_n

 

 

I also faced the hard fact of gaining weigh while marathon training. My weight loss definitely took a back seat when I started training. It is very common to gain weight while training and I did just that.

Weight and Marathon Training

 

I had to face my depression head on….

Weight Watchers Update – June

 

And I got to review a some pretty cool products….

Apera Bags

WIN Detergent

Mizuno Wave Rider 18

 

While 2014 was a good year in many ways, it was also a hard year and I am ready to start a new year with a new personal focus and new goals which I will share soon. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy this last day of 2014 and have a fun date night with hubby.

 

10469185_10204566507714235_4003681408925399603_n

 

 

Thank you for following me for another year! Have a safe and Happy New Year!

 

What is one of your favorite memories from 2014?