The Addiction is Official

Posted: April 19, 2011 at 8:10 am

I normally am not a fan of Mondays. Sure, I enjoy getting back into a normal routine, but I hate how they never seem to include any fun. I made sure to make fun happen yesterday though. I started off with a fabulous workout of a quick weights circuit followed by a spin class. My circuit looked a little something like this:

Push-Ups 10 on toes, 5 on knees
Bench Jumps 10 reps jumping onto bench
Machine Bench Press 12 reps
Power Front Kicks 20 reps per leg
Triceps Kickbacks 12 reps

I did each move back to back 3 times through. It took all of 15 minutes and I could feel it before I finished. For the record, I have such a love/hate relationship with push-ups. They work my upper body so well, but are so tough! I love seeing my strength with them increase though. It makes me feel all hardcore. Although not as hardcore as my race. 😉

After the gym, I managed to find that elusive balance we all seek. Normally I feel like I either don’t get anything done or I spend too much time with to-dos and don’t have enough fun moments with the family. I set aside 1.5 hours to bang out what chores I could. Badda boom! Laundry done. Floors swept and mopped. Playroom cleaned and vacuumed. Just in time for me to take to the great outdoors for some bubble blowing and sidewalk chalk drawing as my bonding time with my sweet girl.

 sidewalk chalk   bubblesm blowing bubbles 2 m blowing bubbles 

Then, I made sure to take some time for myself too during nap time. I whipped up a tasty little snack by peeling and chopping an apple then microwaving it for 90 seconds with some cinnamon. I topped it with a small drizzle of maple syrup and a sampler packet of this Love Grown Foods apple walnut granola I received for review.

  apple walnut granola

At first, I thought this little snack would need some yogurt to tie it all together, but it didn’t. The apple + granola combo was actually really filling and reminded me of a healthified apple crumble.

apple   granola snack

Delicious! Love Grown Foods knows their granola. The stuff is like crack!

Whilst satisfying my belly, I satisfied my hankering for finding future races by checking out the Run Georgia calendar Lee directed me to. This could start a problem. I found a couple options for my next race – hopefully a 10K in the next 6 weeks or so. Then, the crazy set in. I know I want to do a half marathon in the fall. I am already 99% sure I will run the Rock & Roll Savannah half marathon.

 

Savannah is one of my all-time favorite places. I have always thought Rock & Roll races sound like a blast. I have family in Savannah. Most importantly, it gives Peter & I an excuse for a mini-vacation just the two of us. Then, I see another half marathon at my alma mater and I think that would be so fun too!

Something like the following happens in my head:

  • Crazy, Run-Loving, Race-Ogling Tina: Oh! Maybe I can do both!
  • Logical Tina: Ummm…they are only two weeks apart.
  • Crazy, Run-Loving, Race-Ogling Tina: I could take the first one easy. I would be doing my longest training run that week anyways. I think?
  • Logical Tina: You’re crazy! Buuuttttt…you could always plan for the Savannah race and see how training goes and maybe do both? Oh, crap! Crazy Tina you’re getting to me!!!!

And so on. It doesn’t help when certain people send tweets like this…

twitter

See? The addiction has officially begun. I don’t know what to do, but at least I have time on my side!

I rounded out my day with a nice walk for more family time and a satisfying dinner. I whipped up a version Meghann’s Black Eyed Pea + Cornmeal Biscuits.

black eyed pea   cornmeal biscuits

I followed the recipe almost exactly, except for using a frozen mixed veggie blend instead of fresh broccoli and corn. It was quite the hearty dinner. For some reason it upset my stomach, though. I started feeling very crampy and uncomfortable, so I laid low and relaxed the rest of the evening by catching up on some Desperate Housewives. Hey – I have to keep balance between kid and adult entertainment too! 😉

  • How do you find balance to start your week off well?
  • Can you relate to my Crazy/Logical Tina conundrum?

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77 Comments to “The Addiction is Official”
  1. Sounds like a great day! Love the look of her sweet hands around that big chalk. Congrats on signing up for the half–I love Savannah, too!!!

  2. I love that you’ve just started running and you’re already having to talk yourself out of races! I think you should go for it!

  3. You are just amazing, Tina! I definitely think you can do the races. Just remember how wonderful the 5K felt!

  4. Oh that’s exactly how I feel – all or nothing. It’s all too much doing nothing and then regretting not getting things done or so much time spent doing that I forget to relax.

  5. I try to keep balance by doing as many chores/cleaning etc on the weekends — that way I don’t have to worry about much of that during the week.

    Tina last year I ran a marathon and then ran a 1/2 two weeks later. It was intense but really fun! The 1/2 marathon was totally for fun, so there was no pressure to finish in a certain time frame.

    • Tina says:

      That’s what I’m thinking – if I do one just for fun and keep it easier it would maybe work? But I don’t want to go out too fast with my running “career” either. But then again they are 6-7 months away. It’s just a whirlwind in my head! LOL

  6. That apple snack looks so good! I think you should go ahead and plan to do both races. 🙂 I love to read about your new passion for running!! 🙂

  7. Oh I have totally had conversations like that in my head! I don’t think there’s any reason you couldn’t do both if you’ve trained properly. Just aim your training plan at the first one, and then take it easy until the next one.

  8. Love the healthy apple crumble! You should definitely do the Rock n Roll Marathon! I was thinking about doing that myself…sounds like it will be such an awesome time, and how can you beat a setting like Savannah?!

  9. heather says:

    Hhmmm not sure what I would do about the races. If it wasn’t your first half I would say go for it. Remembering back to my first half it took over a week to recover but Maybe I was Just a wimp ha! Just remember the race will be there next year if you choose yo put one off till then. But like u said u have plenty of time to decide!

  10. I can totally relate! Running your first race just leaves you wanting so much more of that environment. I think you probably could do it, if you don’t aim too high at the first one; use that as a training for the real deal 2 weeks later so you still get the “taper” week.

  11. I think you can definitely do it!! It’s two races for one training schedule. As long as you’re not looking to get a killer time in both, I say go for it- running is fun, and I’m sure you’ll treat your body well in the weeks between races!

  12. Lee says:

    I agree with Gabriella above – if you wanted to do them both, I would treat the first one as a training run. That said, are you going to want to run your first half marathon at a conservative pace?

    I mentioned Savannah to my mother and she was like, “Oh, you should do it. Maybe I’ll come visit and we can drive down there together.”

    • Lee says:

      Haha, I just realized that there are two Gabriella comments above mine!

    • Tina says:

      That would honestly be the main thing to hold me back – wanting my first half to be the “real deal” and exciting. I do love Athens, but that one wouldn’t be hard to get to next year as well. Races are so fun though! LOL

  13. The Detroit Free Press Half Marathon is a sweet ass race if you’re looking for something fun and a bit of a getaway. You run over the Detroit River on the bridge into Canada and through the tunnel back again to Detroit again. You finish on Ford Field (Football Stadium). It’s pretty sweet.

  14. Angela says:

    I agree with the other comments – just treat one as training for the 2nd. I can definitely relate to your situation. Sometimes I feel like I don’t really want to race, but these days I’ve been feeling more and more compelled to sign up for one. As soon as the weather gets reasonable again, I’ll be heading outside (since I don’t think I should enter one having ONLY run on the treadmill all winter!) and hopefully signing up for a few soon. I can’t wait to hear about your training!: )

  15. I definitely use my Sundays to make my Mondays a bit easier! 🙂 I try to get as much done as I can so that the work week starts off without a hitch…not always fun, but it works! And I would love to do a half in Athens…I didn’t even know this one existed! Even after seeing a ton of great campuses around the country, I still think UGA has one of the BEST! Maybe I’m a little biased, but it’s so true! 🙂

  16. that 99% sure better become 100% sure about the savannah RNR race!! 🙂

  17. Jess says:

    I love it – the running addiction!! I don’t blame you – after killing your first race, no wonder you’re itching for more!! I say do the Savannah race and see how it goes and then MAYBE if you feel good, go for the one 2 weeks later. You’d be all trained and ready to go, right? Sort of a two-for-one deal versus having to train alllll over again for a second half. Right?? See, now you’re making me want to sign up for more than one half this year. I’m tempted. I want to do the Wicked Half this fall again like last year but there’s also one in Healdsburg CA (where we LOVE to visit in wine country each fall) that is a few weeks later. I’d loooove to run both, not gonna lie. No decisions have been made yet tho 😉

  18. Amanda says:

    I always go back and forth with myself then usually just go with my gut!! It never lets me down!

    Once you complete one race it becomes so addicting! I think you will do great! You smashed that 5k, you are totally ready for more!!!

  19. Oh yes, I can relate to your conundrum. I have my first half marathon on May 21, then the Ragnar Relay on June 10. I was asked to run another relay between the two, and I was SO TORN! I really wanted to, but I finally thought that’s just too much too close together. Running races sure is fun!

  20. How awesome is it that you just started running and now you’re totally planning your race calendar months ahead! Love it!

    I say if you can afford it, sign up for both HMs! I’ve done back-to-back HMs before & you really just need to train smart and run smart on the first race day so you recover a bit and have some oomph left for the 2nd race!

    You’re SO in tune with your body Tina that there’s NO WAY you’d over do it by inadvertently pushing too hard between races or even on race day. Just keep having fun!

  21. I am the same way! I finished my 10K and just yesterday I was searching for half marathons in my area! It really is addicting! For me, I think my addiction comes from the sense of accomplishment. I never thought I could do a 10K, but I did…so I think, ‘What else can I do!?” 🙂

  22. runblondie26 says:

    Perhaps it’s a little crazy, but do-able 🙂 It would qualify you for a Half Fanatics membership too. I’d probably make the first one your “A” race, then do the second one for fun without expectations.

    I’m about 99% sure I’l be doing the Savannah RnR half too. The weather should be great that time of year and it’s the perfect excuse for a weekend getaway.

    The problem with the the race bug is it gets expensive!

  23. Your little one looks adorable in these pictures 🙂

  24. I think both races are doable for you. THey are in the fall, and by that time, you will have built mileage up even more and your body will be used to it! I SAY GO FOR IT!

  25. SO happy to hear you’ve signed up for half marathons! And yes, 2 weeks apart is totally doable. I think even one week is doable – our bodies are capable of AMAZING things!

  26. Kelly says:

    I wouldn’t treat the 10K as a race if you are planning on doing a half soon thereafter. Running is a great but it can cause costly injuries if it push too far too fast!

  27. Stacy says:

    Haha I love that you are considering two half marathons only two weeks apart! You are hardcore!

  28. ahhh your first half!!! so excited!!!

  29. Jess says:

    I ran my first 1/2 last September in Virginia Beach at the Rock N Roll Half! I highly recommend the RNR series!! I am hoping to run Savannah as well since I also love the city and it is the inaugural one. I am also hoping to possibly run it every year after if it continues just to begin a tradition!

  30. jobo says:

    Love the addiction setting in, but hopefully logical Tina takes over 😉 two weeks back to back? Perhaps it’s just me that things I’d cry if I had to do two back to back. one is plenty 😉 XO!

    • Tina says:

      They aren’t back to back. There is a week in between, so if I treated the first like a training run and didn’t push it I think it would be doable. I’m really not certain though. I definitely want to be safe!

  31. Melie says:

    Haha! If I can relate? My grandma sent me some money the other day because she was getting worried I don’t get paid enough (don’t you love greek grandmothers?) and I ended up signing up for 2 half marathons! Which are 2 weeks apart! 🙂 I’ve done it before and it’s certainly doable. I just chose one of the two to “race” and push myself and the other one to enjoy the scenery and company 🙂

  32. LauraJayne says:

    I LOVE how excited you are about running! It is totally an addiction – the “high” is real! You should definitely do the Savannah half – and I think I’ll fly out and do it too! I love the idea of running through Savannah – so beautiful and running in the South is so totally different than running in Utah!

  33. By keeping my Sundays as low key as humanly possible, I try to start my Mondays off with as much balance as possible!

  34. lindsay says:

    Mondays are our chance to set the tone of the week, ya know? I always try to make them not too crazy. Ease on in!
    I love that you are looking into more races. FUN! You should definitel do some for fun and not worry about a time, keeps things fresh. 😉

  35. Heather says:

    Love the addiction (there are worse addictions to have, right?)!! 😉
    Just make sure you have enough recovery and rest time in between – don’t want any injuries!

  36. Bubble blowing & side walk chalk…FUN TIMES!! M looks like she was having a great time with her sweet Mommy 🙂

  37. I’m glad to see that you are enjoying yourself enough to get into the racing habit. =D

    My personal opinion is that you should choose one race (I vote RnR!!). I think that at this stage, you should really try to train for and enjoy each experience fully. There are plenty of races out there, and I don’t see why you have to hurry and do two so soon. Do your first half, take your mini-vacation, and savor it before you start planning for the next one. You want to have fun racing for a long time, so it’s really about enjoying it while it’s still new to you.

    Of course, lots of people will probably disagree with me, but don’t hate! I’ve experienced cramming a bunch of races together, and honestly, they really just blurred in my memory more than the ones that I ran more far apart. Plus, my body seems to like this strategy more. You do NOT want to get injured. I was injured most of last year, and believe me, it sucks.

    Off my high horse now…. 😉

    • I would not say I started my week off well, but I am going to change that today!

      I totally agree with Julie above. I think you are going to be so excited you won’t use the first one as a ‘training run’! So you should just go all out for it and enjoy it, and then see how you feel.

    • Tina says:

      I agree with a lot of what you say here. The Athens one is before th RNR one and I really think I would rather focus on THAT race because I know it will be such a great experience. Plus, I like how you bring up haivng one as the main focus for a better memory. The other is much closer to me so I could always do that one next year too. The logical side of me usually wins out and as fun as I think two would be, the more I think about the more I feel like what you just laid out. 🙂

  38. Lauren says:

    Isn’t race fever great? Glad you love running so much! I definitely have crazy/logical conversations with myself about running all the time. I’d say to sign up for the rock & roll half, which is probably really fun, then decide how you feel about the other one during your training.

  39. Once you get that high, it’s hard to not keep going! I truly love Savannah too! It is just so beautiful, so finding a great excuse to go is just a bonus!

  40. Sounds like you had a great Monday – your dinner looks fantastic….I’m thinking I’m going to have to give it a try. I have Spontaneous/Logical Andrea goin’ on. I jump at every opportunity and then when I get a chance to mull it over, my logical side tells me I can’t do everything. Which one wins depends on the day!

  41. Aw, I used to love chalk and bubbles. Remember Skip-Its, too?! 😀 So fun!

  42. I’ve never been to Savannah, but I’m sure you will LOVE the race. I’ve done several rock ‘n roll series half and full marathons and am always impressed with how fun and well organized they are. Go get that half!

  43. Jen says:

    Oh boy, you are addicted!!!!! But, there are worse things to be addicted to 😉

  44. Heather says:

    girl you are crazy…but i think you do such a great job of knowing your body and what you’re capable of! go for it!

  45. I love your running enthusiasm! I wish I was addicted to running, it would be so much fun 😀 Loving the apple granola crisp! Love Grown rocks 😛

  46. Now that I’m back at home I have even more respect for SAHM’s that manage to do it all (or at least strive for a great balance) We have an hour glass filled with red sand that I flip when I start doing blog work. If it goes out, then I flip it and do housework for that long or start a project for James to help me out with. Like sands through an hourglass…these our the days of our (my) life. 🙂

  47. Kirsten says:

    I think you could totally do both. You’ve taken to running so easily that I think it is completely possible.

    I will say that my first 1/2 was the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in Nashville last year. Those folks do it right. Well organized, great folks. Such a great experiece that I am doing Savannah as my second this year.

  48. You are SUCH an inspiration!! I love reading your daily recaps because I know (I am busy mom to three little boys) how challenging it is to get it “ALL” done each day… and you make it look so easy! You are amazing!

    I am with you on the love/hate of push-ups. I do them only because they work SO MANY different parts of the body that I need to work on. 🙂

    And… GO YOU for getting bit by the racing bug! The half marathon distance is my FAVORITE distance (even if it is challenging – it is totally doable to train with young children). 🙂

  49. Yay for jumping on the racing wagon! I think you can do both in two weeks- if you can pull out that time for your first 5k, you’re a running natural 🙂

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