Reds on the Run

Our Journey to becoming Endurance Athletes

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***Please READ the post**** Today I dedicated my run to #blacklivesmatter ... My run was extremely hard today. I have so much on my mind. I am a mother, a wife and I work full time. But, today I ran for the black community. I am asking a SERIOUS QUESTION......What can I do to help? I am at a loss. I feel disgusted, sick to my stomach, and I could barely finish 5 miles today but I pushed bc my run was bigger than me today.... I need to know what I should do to help stand up and support the Black Community? I am all ears right now. Do I need to join a group? Go to a meeting? Start a group? I want to help and as a white woman, I NEED TO HELP. I am asking for advice, guidance, suggestions....I AM LISTENING ... in the mean time I will be praying 🙏🏻🙏🏼🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿 #stoptheviolence #blacklivesmatter #runforacause #dedicatedtoblacklives #running #runningcommunity #womenwhorun #runner ATTENTION: YOU should dedicate your run to Supporting Black Lives also ✌🏻️

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Today i tried making chocolate chip trail mix balls for "on the go fuel". This is the recipe I followed, but I added whey protein for a little extra boost since I've been running more miles every week. http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-trail-mix-balls-0#

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To add on to my previous post. Here are a few photos of my family runs! 😍❤️

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Reflecting {July•August}

Since we are #consistentlyinconsistent I thought I would reflect on my experiences the last two months. First things first, and probably the biggest impact on my training was the Olympics in Rio!!! I literally was obsessed with watching every single sport! It is so inspiring to know these athletes put in so much training and dedication to compete at the highest level. It was very motivating for me to get out there and complete my runs and to push myself to do my best. It was also very cool to see my daughter, #GoldenBaby who is 19 months old, clap and get excited during any given sport! She was very drawn to running, swimming and gymnastics!! It made me happy!! GO USA!!!!!!

Ashly and I have been doing a lot of reading and research as well. Anything from how compression shorts work (neither of us have ever worn them, they look tight and uncomfortable…) to what hydration packs/vests are the best (and gosh, they are expensive!). We have looked at running camps and retreats, trails in our area, started stalking runners on Instagram, trying new energy gels, chews, wafers, you name it!

On a more personal level, I have noticed a huge change in my emotional well-being. I have a huge surge of energy after my runs. I am more excited about life and I look forward to running. Running has given me that drive that I lost over the years and it makes me want to be better for my daughter and husband. I have the energy to come home from work and make dinner and do more activities with my family. Running has given me confidence and happiness again to get through my days a lot smoother and with less mood swings. I am happier and more carefree now that I’m running! It also helps that I can bring my family along on the shorter runs! Wes, my husband, is very athletic and runs with me occasionally and Ava loves her “ride” (Bob jogging stroller). It makes me happy to get to share this new found love of running with my family and have them be a part of this new journey that I’m on to change my life{style}. Plus it gets us outside, breathing fresh air and some Vitamin D!! Hopefully running will have a positive impact on Ava and give her a sense of dedication and hard work.

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Well, we've been MIA for a while!!! BUT that doesn't mean we weren't training! Ashly and I have actually been very consistent (for once) with our weekly runs! I am still trying to be more consistent with my strength training (Ahh!!). With a weak core still, it makes it hard and honestly very discouraging. That's the point of strength training though right?! To make you stronger! So I will be better!!!!! Unfortunately our grandfather passed away last week, but our family was able to come together and lay him to rest. He is a WWII veteran, so there was a very touching and emotional tribute to his service to our great country. It was beautiful to witness. While Ashly and I were in Ohio we were able to get in an 8 mile run and a nice 4 mile run. It felt really good to run together and see where we are with our training. I think we did great and are right on track with each other! We even tried out new energy gels and chews too! I actually really enjoy the chocolate Gu's! Haha!

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The training plan we are following consists of 3 days of running and 2 days of strength training. We started at week 4 of the half marathon training plan because we already have a base and a goal 16 weeks away. We are adding more to our strength training as we go, but boy am I sore from yesterday's rotation!!! 💪🏻😫😅 the half marathon training plan was found by Ashly on Pinterest at http://www.snackinginsneakers.com/half-marathon-training-plan-beginners/ (Thanks to the writer: Chrissy Carroll)

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Last week (July 3) was Reds on the Run first week of training for our half marathon distance goal, by October 29. Today was Week 2: Day 1 of running (3 miles) and I was feeling tired from yesterdays strength training and 87 degree heat. I'm going to keep pushing with a smile on my face!

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Well, it’s been a while since we posted anything! So here is a quick update! Ashly and I were both visiting Ohio at the same time (for once!!) We finally got to put in our first run together after starting this endurance journey. We ran at Dawes Arboretum, very pretty and we even got to run on a trail! Haha! 2.75 miles in the books! We celebrated with silly faces and Popsicles with the Golden Baby.

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My husband surprised me with an early anniversary gift! The AppleWatch! He said it is to help me achieve my fitness goals of being an endurance athlete! ☺️ I just hope this thing is water proof because I sweat A LOT! 😅

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Wait for it.... I think Ashly is ready to get Boundless! LOL!!!! Gotta start somewhere!

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Butterflies

Ashly is feeling doubt and a bit of hesitation as you can read from her last post. Me, on the other hand, still feels excitement and joy about running my very FIRST marathon with my Big Sister! This has been a goal of mine for so long. I wanted to run a marathon before I turned 30, that was my goal and I let it slip through my fingers (I turned 30 last October). That's where the #consistenlyinconsistent comes into play. I'm all talk, I never follow through, I run and train for a few weeks and give up. This time, it is happening, I'm running my first marathon! We signed up, that's like a binding agreement, I have to now. I got butterflies when Ashly finally got a hold of me and said she already registered us for a Rock 'n' Roll marathon!! My stomach was doing flips, my palms got sweaty (my armpits too) and I actually felt excited about something!!! Nervous. Extremely nervous, but excitement! And I was doing it with my big sister!!!! Ashly is a few years older than me so I've always looked up to her. That's why I started running, because she ran cross-country in junior high and high school. Ashly graduated high school before I started so we've never got to run together! We never got to push each other, but now we can! We can go to the extremes, we can get boundless together!!!! Yes! I am so over joyed with happiness! We have something to look forward to! Back to Ashly feeling a little doubtful. See, Ashly is much more conservative and some would even say more responsible than me. Ashly is concerned about all the gear, costs, budgeting, all the accommodations, ect.... I guess I didn't think about those things, and I'm taking baby steps. Right now, I'm focused on healing from hernia repair surgery that I had last week and looking forward to my first day back to running! I always just hope everything will fall into place, but then I get really bad anxiety right before everything seems to unfold. Until then, I'm pumped!!! So now my job is to get Ashly back to feeling the excitement! We are SISTERS, we are a TEAM and I will carry her to the finish line if I have to! (I guess I need to look into getting one of those bungee cords to connect us together like they had on Boundless. Crap, more gear...)

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Doubt

6/6/16

That old familiar feeling was back this morning. Doubt. For some reason I woke up thinking Amber and I are crazy. We got so excited about this newfound hope of being endurance athletes. Is this going to be like other ideas we’ve gotten excited about? Here now and then gone like farts in the wind. Ahhhhh…I need to get control. Here is a look into my brain. The thoughts running through my head…What are we thinking? We can’t afford to buy all the gear we need: Bikes, helmets, watches, swim suits, race entries, travel expenses, time away from family to do long runs/rides on the weekends, shoes, an RV (apparently racers will camp at some of these events and we aren’t really sure yet if we can do tent camping. How do you even set up a tent), a tent, body glide, food, the list could go on forever. My mind was racing with the impossibilities. I need to get a grip. Positive thoughts where are you? You are like a butterfly that is fluttering in front of me just out of reach. Beautiful and untouchable. So, I make the decision to step out of bed, greet the day, and take this journey one step at a time. Any goal you set that feels out of reach or unachievable is the best type of goal to have. I will put one foot in front of the other and start my day with a run.

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Global Running Day

Oh! Is it Christmas morning? Ummmmmm….no I have my boss riding with me today. A feeling of excitement is in the air though. With it being global running day, the marathon Amber and I have been eyeing is on sale. Only $59 to torture ourselves. We are in, sign us up! Well, I will sign us up and surprise Amber because she is at work and not responding quick enough to my text. Anyone who knows me knows I am frugal or like my mom would say a “tightwad”. This price is a bargain, so there you have it. Amber is about to run her first marathon and I’m going for my third. I was convinced after my first marathon that I was done. One was enough. It was crossed off my life bucket list. Some things in life you just can’t say no too. An opportunity to run with my best friend for her first. Who could say no to that. That would be so unboundless of me. Game on! Nashville here we come. See you in April.

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Yesterday, after a nice 2 mile run on Global running day! #globalrunningday #cantstopwontstop

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Yesterday, Global Running Day was in full swing with a 1 mile family run in the rain! #globalrunningday #goldenbaby #startsomewhere

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We Got Wild! HA!

Last week of May:

We got wild and both did 2 mile runs. We got boundless…hahahaha. Oh the old feeling of burning lungs and heavy legs. Could we really do another 29miles? Oh yeah baby. #cantstopwontstop. I am going to start to slowly ease back into running and for once in my life also add strength training and stretching. Amber will be out for the month of June due to her surgery, but will be back at it soon. Our goal in the next week is to schedule a spring marathon and also scout our 50K. If we don’t sign up ASAP, the star we are chasing may dim and we could fall off the dream wagon.

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Why We Run

Inspire Golden Baby

Feel alive and free

Live healthy long lives

Challenge ourselves mentally/physically/emotionally/spiritually

Leave behind our stress/anxiety/overthinking things out of our control

Find Peace

Get out of our comfort zone

Set goals and Accomplish goals

Enjoy the outdoors

Explore