I can do hard things

It's been a bit of a crazy week. My city is hosting the UCI World Road Cycling Championship. Very cool to have this surrounding us when the last time the US hosted this event was in 1986. Cycling mania is in full effect.

And as luck would have it, my husband is working out of town all week and he is the cyclist in the family. So far, we have seen the women's and men's individual time trial events. If the weather isn't absolutely miserable, we are attending the men's finals on Sunday.

Since I am the only parent this week, I have been sneaking workouts in between school drop-off/pick-up and conference calls. I have also been working on my #BOSUstrong challenges. It's all about balance this week.  Check out my instagram for my crazy attempts.

Monday - speedwork that was a miserable fail. I stayed up too late the night before, and I just couldn't get it together. 4.8 miles done. Enough said about that.

Thursday - had an AWESOME 8 miler. Many of the cycling teams zipped by me along my route. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough to get any pictures. My pace was too fast for miles 2, 3, 4, but I just couldn't slow it down. I finished strong and should be ready to knock out 17 miles on Sunday.

Except the forecast is rain, rain, and more rain. The last time I ran in this kind of weather for a long run was on a 20 miler two years ago. I thought the run went well, but then I couldn't run a mile two days later. Marathon of 2013 = out the window.

This time, I will run smarter. No puddle jumping. No zigging. No zagging. One foot in front of the other. And remember my favorite mantra, "I can DO hard things!"

Run Wright

Wish me luck on Sunday.

6 Ways I Stay Balanced

If you forgot to join me last week for the #BOSUStrong challenge or just weren’t up for the cardio, make sure you join me this week as it’s all about the balance! We’re standing on one leg, lunging, and squatting our way through the week.

But balance means more than just being able to stand on one leg, it also means being able to do what you love while making healthy choices at the same time. It means putting in the work and still finding time for pedicures. Or eating the Oreo(s) but balancing it out with a spinach & kale smoothie.

Here are the 6 ways I stay balanced – what are yours?

• I make time for myself by saying "no" when it's not in the best interest of me or my family.
• My favorite me time is reading the latest "must read" book.
• My rule when it comes to a balanced diet is nothing is a no in moderation.
• I make fitness a priority by scheduling my workouts just like a meeting.
• When I get stressed or overwhelmed, my go to is running. Miles make it melt away.
• I do not enough, but changing things up to help my family stay balanced. This is how my little guy stays balanced.

So I want to know – are you #BOSUStrong? Copy and paste the above, fill it in and make it your own and then tag me in it (@runjillybean #runjillybean) and share with your friends! Let’s all be #BOSUSTRONG.

The daily prompts are below. You can also follow along HERE.

Week 2, it’s all about that BALANCE (9/21-9/25):

(Make sure you tag @Bosu_Fitness on Instagram & @BosuFitness on Twitter):

• Monday, 9/21: Happy Monday sweaties, this week we’re all about that balance. Let’s see you stand on one leg – ready, set, GO! #BosuStrong #SweatPink #FitFamily @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad
  • Bonus: Y’all know we love to #jumpjoymonday! Show us your BEST jump shot and tag @BOSU_Fitness @FitApproach #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #SweatPink #ad
• Tuesday, 9/22: We want to see you #dropitlikeasquat…on your BOSU or perhaps one leg? #BosuStrong #SweatPink #FitFamily @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad
  • Bonus: It’s time for #treetuesday! Show us your best tree pose. @BOSU_Fitness @FitApproach #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #SweatPink #ad
• Wednesday, 9/23: Let’s lunge it out sweaties! #BosuStrong #SweatPink #FitFamily @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad
  • Bonus: #workitwednesday, show us how you’re workin’ it this Wednesday and tag #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad
• Thursday, 9/24:  It’s #totalbodythursday. Show us your favorite total body balance  move! #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad
• Bonus: Give us a #tbt of a time when you really challenged your balance (feel free to get creative!) #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad
• Friday, 9/25: #FreeFriday. Show us your favorite way to get your balance on! #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad


• Bonus: Happy #forearmfriday. Let’s forearm plank it out y’all! #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad

Notes: You do not need to own or have access to a BOSU to participate. By participating you will have a chance to win a BOSU and other fun prizes. And please, if you are using a BOSU throughout this challenge, never stand on your BOSU with the dome facing down (images or moves down on the BOSU incorrectly will not count during this challenge).

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community.

5 Things That Make Me #BOSUStrong

Today I am embarking on a 4 week challenge with BOSU and Sweat Pink to prove to the world that I am #BOSUSTRONG. I will squat, mountain climb, plank, push-up, lunge, clamshell  and bridge my way to a stronger and happier body.  And I will encourage Cooper and Debbie to join me on this fun journey because we are one big, happy #FitFamily.

Being #BOSUStrong is not just about movement, sweat, or even owning a BOSU, its about being a leader, an inspiration to others, and sharing my own fitness journey with others. The 5 things that make be #BOSUStrong are:

• My strong commitment.
• My ability to persevere 
• My love for a challenge.
• My healthy attitude.
• And my spirit.

So I want to know – are you #BOSUStrong? Copy and paste the above, fill it in and make it your own and then tag me in it and share with your friends! Let’s all be #BOSUSTRONG.

Twitter: @runjillybean
Instagram: runjillybean
Pinterest: runjillybean

Well hello there stranger!

I'm not even sure where the time has gone, but I sure think a lot has happened. The trick is what can I remember?

The highlights since my last past so long ago:

1. I finally ran a marathon (Richmond 2014).
2. My Dad kicked colon cancer in the booty.
3. Still have an amazing little boy and husband.
4. Still have awesome friends and extended family who support me in whatever I set my sites on.
5. A job that I like most days, but challenges me every day.

The lowlights:

1. A few more injuries to get over, namely a broken arm this past winter in a poor attempt to learn ice skating for cross-training.
2. Not enough running, but enough to commit to another marathon. I've missed some of my must do races (Monument 10K, Shamrock Half).
3. .... I'm one lucky girl.
4. Except I had to cut my figure skating career short.

Yes, after swearing repeatedly during the last 6 miles and for 2 days afterward that I would NEVER do another marathon .... I'm doing another marathon. Only 66 more days to fill you in on that adventure.

What have you done that you said you would never do again?

What's the craziest non-running injury you have ever had?

So where have I been?

My Fall marathon didn't happen. I had what I thought was a great second 20 miler, but it fell apart in the form of patellar tendinitis and ITBS on my good knee. I think I dodged and jumped too many puddles on that long run. I tried aggressive PT, but it just wasn't to be.

At the same time, my dear Dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. He is doing great now, but it has been a difficult winter with multiple hospital stays and lots of road trips back and forth for me.

And then there was the Polar Vortex. Missed school days, too cold icy conditions just made the running option not a good for me.

So I'm calling a do over.

I've gotten in 3 runs and 2 strength training workouts per week for the last two weeks. I'm up to running 5 miles without pain (fingers and toes crossed).

I'm running the Monument 10k on Saturday with my long run being 5 miles, so no goal like last year's awesome PR. Just running smart and healthy before heading to a work conference across country later that day.

And that 5 mile run, I wasn't smart and ran yesterday when it was 70. I waited until today where the the high was 49 with midday run. I should have had plenty of time to beat the rain. Why do I believe forecasters? The rain started in earnest even before my halfway point. I sucked it up and finished strong with NO puddle jumping. Wet feet are better than knee pain any day. I ran a little faster than I wanted to by a minute per mile too fast. Oops.

And here's the wet look proof. Glad I had another layer on over my Tough Chik long sleeve.

And the reward to warm me up from the inside. The temps dropped 10 degrees while out there.

And then my dear hubby surprised me with these from Carytown Cupcakes. Oh, I love cupcakes but I certainly didn't run far enough to justify even one of these.

Here's to another week. Here we go!

Jilly Bean

I don't know what week it is.

I had a near perfect running week, and didn't have time to write about it thanks to work craziness. And a random pain starting on Monday that made me have amnesia.

So I need to focus on the good.

I had a great tempo run earlier in the previous week (5 miles at marathon pace). The bike trainer went well, then I screwed up my watch for my speedwork. I got frustrated and just made up a workout. Needless to say, it wasn't my best run.

I put off getting my flu shot because I usually feel yucky for about two days after, and I needed a root canal this week. Oh boy, this week was going peachy keen.

The big question was how was 20 for the second time going to go.

I had an awesome running buddy for the entire 20. It misted rain almost the entire which wasn't bad because it helped break the humidity. The coaches were nice to us And my brain didn't turn to mush at mile 18 like last time. And I remembered to leave my watch on, so the trusty Garmin really said 20 miles this time.

Just realized that I hide the marathon option when I set up Garmin Connect because I would NEVER run a marathon. Whoops, time to change that setting.

How would I rate the run?

Well, maybe not exactly.

But I was able to move better after this one. I even took Little Dude to the Fall Festival at his old school. Now, I wish I could have moved like this, but that just wasn't gonna happen.

More later on how I recover from these long runs.

Anyone else feel not so good after getting a flu shot?

Felt bombdiggity lately?

 

Jilly Bean

I bagged a workout

It was a cross-training day. So here's my excuse.

Remember my tooth nightmare, I would rather forget it, but evidently I needed a root canal. That was the source of all my pain. And I'm scheduled to get my crowns placed next week, so I was lucky enough to go in and have a root canal this week. I wouldn't even get a flu shot for fear of messing with my 20 miler, and here I am letting a dentist mess with my mouth and persnickety TMJ for an hour. Sure why not.

Normally, they give me Valium to keep my TMJ at bay (really because I'm a wuss), but I didn't have anyone to drive me today so I sucked it up. I have to say that my dentist was awesome.

I was supposed to bike but I just bagged it. Cold, rainy, jaw a little achy (I could almost write country music), so I put the sweats on and didn't sweat. I'm really glad I didn't have to run tonight and I should be fine for Saturday.

Except for this.

We have been so lucky this training cycle with rain that I could avoid. Will Karen just go away?

Doesn't she know we have 20 miles to run?

And because I need all the motivation I can get, I came across this quote earlier this week. It spoke to me because when November 16th comes around, it is all up to ME! I've got this! Right?

What are your tips for getting through a soggy, long run?

What illnesses, etc. cause you to skip a workout?

 

Jilly Bean

Week 18 - Holy moly, we are getting close

I'm a little freaked out that when I look at my training plan on the screen, I don't have to scroll to see 26.2. This means this marathon will be here before I know it.

Source

Training was overall good for the week, with a few modifications. Hubby's work schedule has gone haywire, so I fit in what I can. Overall, I gave up a cross-training day for sleep. 7 miles on the bike on Monday did feel great after 20 on Saturday. The plan called for 10 for the mid-week run. I stopped at 8 because the hip and knee started talking to me. (I am starting to listen to my body, finally). I also missed the speedwork due to hubby's schedule but squeezed in a quick 3 around my son's school before pickup AND I did runner's core workout when I got home. It's all about compromise sometimes.

The long run being 12 was a welcome relief. I had about 1.5 miles where I was by myself and purposefully did not catch up with the group in front of me. I was trying to stick to the slower pace on the plan (give myself a B- on that), so I spent some time thinking about what mental tricks I needed in my toolkit. I have to say that I relaxed, went MY pace and enjoyed the quiet. When I got to the SAG, I got a great compliment from one of the coaches on how relaxed and refreshed I looked. Exactly what I needed to here on a rollback week.

So all in all, a good relaxed week before another 20 miler. Oh boy and a foam roller! Hurts so good.

And we wrapped up the rest of my recovery week with a trip to Busch Gardens. Easy peasy walking and seeing the scary sites. Made this little guy happy.

I finally created a Facebook fan page but haven't had the time (or brain power) to figure out how to get it linked to my blog. I'm thinking it might be time to switch blog layouts to something more user friendly. So in the meantime, here's the link to Run Jilly Bean. Hint, hint, go there now and like my page. Pretty please!

 

Any advice on blog layouts/design? I'm still on blogger, and hate to convert since I don't have a lot of time to devote to it? What's easy and works for you?

Do you have a Facebook fan page? If so, leave me a comment so I can check it out.

Do you love or hate your foam roller?

 

Jilly Bean

How did I get to week 17?

Or more importantly, did I survive the tooth escapade and 20 miles?

The answer to both is yes, but what a week it was.

When this is in your reality, people might think you are nuts.

And the answer to that is definitely I am nuts. And yes, I did wear my socks in the ice bath for two reasons. The most important was that I couldn't even bend over to take them off after that LOOOONG run and I thought it might be a good buffer from my always cold tootsies. Overall, I didn't have enough ice, but I think the torture session helped.

I'm not gonna lie. 20 was tough. The coaches advised me to maybe only try for 16-18 after missing the long run, but I had my running peeps and I really wanted to knock it out. I had a backup plan if the wheels fell off to cut the run short. The problem was that the wheels stopped talking to my brain the last mile and a half.

So the good was: I had awesome people to run with; I didn't find myself starving at mile 15 because I ate a Chia Bar (Chocolate Peanut Butter) and it had just the right amount of protein to ward off my grumbling stomach; and I did 10 of these miles at race pace.

And the bad: I did 10 of these miles at race pace (what was I thinking); Westham Climb for way too long at the halfway point (are the coaches trying to kill us); guess my form was shot because I set my ITB on fire at the end; and my brain could only process right, left, right, don't get hit by a car for the last 2 miles.

But it's done until a week and half where we do it again. Can I really run for another hour after completing 20? I think I can, but I have got to work on my mental toughness. I'm missing out a mental prep workshop tonight. Hopefully a teammate can pass along the Cliff Notes.

Before the 20 miler, the rest of the week went really well. The tooth escapade might have put me into forced rest that my body needed (just could have used more sleep).

I managed one cross-training day and two great runs. And a whole lot of sushi with a side of rice for my second cross-training day. I completely agree with Kathryn on the eating 24/7 thing.

And I'm loving my new Sweat Pink shirt. More on Sweat Pink soon. Please ignore the red pink face.

Do you eat more than Gus, gummies, pretzels, etc are on your long run?

What are mental tough mantra, tips, cues, etc for these long runs?

I'm starting Mile Markers next. Any other book recommendations for motivation?

 

Jilly Bean

So what happened to September

I hit a milestone ... or just a number few want to admit to. 40

So you celebrate all weekend long with mimosas, chocolate and lots of friends. I had an awesome birthday celebration.

And another milestone ... 18 miles that is.

How you spend the next day after 18 miles.

And then work got crazy, and I did the best I could.

And then my tooth decided to mutiny. Make that two temporary crowns, then a delayed reaction leading to 3 sleepless nights. Who would have thought that not one, but two, powerful pain killers wouldn't touch tooth pain. The third one finally did the trick and I was able to sleep and eat, but missed my 19 miler.

That was one sad week. Thank goodness for modern medicine.

So, I'm off to try 17 or 20 miles tomorrow morning, or whatever happens.

 

Jilly Bean

Marathon Training - Week 13

Theme for the week: back in the groove. Almost!

Running miles: 20.5

Biking miles: 7 (hoping to get two sessions in next week, up for none the previous two weeks)

Core or yoga: Goose egg

This week's long run was much better than previous ones. Even if it was only 10 miles. I needed a good long run to mentally prep for next week's 18 miler. I need all the good mojo I can get.

All smiles, even if a lot sweaty. Because right after I showered, it was time for lunch, pedicures, and shopping as a pre-birthday celebration.

More to come on the birthday next.

 

Jilly Bean

Marathon Training - Week 12

The laziest blog post ever.

Yep, that's all I did last week to mark the halfway point of this adventure. I was recovering from being on vacation for a week (where I got minimal rest) and work was hell all week. I continue to follow the Run Less, Run Faster plan and some of these paces are tough. But this should make the marathon easier, right? Someone please say yes!

The highlights were a little painting and wine time with the mommas from Moms Run This Town.

It started out a little scary.

But turned out not so bad. And this is my view every morning going in to work.

Then, the week ended with a Rogue Run. We were supposed to run a local half that is co-sponsored by the marathon team, but I just wasn't feeling a run through farmland. After the Zooma debacle, I need a fantastic half and I didn't think this was going to be it. So one of my wonderful teammates created the Going Rogue run. About 40 of us ran our own little half around Richmond. We covered part of the marathon route and I got to run over a new bridge. And we even got a medal and certificate at the end. Greg is awesome.

And here's my running twin, except she's a lot faster. We even have the same shoes, and excellent taste in skirts.

I didn't race this run, but rather just let the miles roll by. We still have a long way until November 16th, so let's go drink a milkshake.

That's my crazy kid sucking down my peanut butter chocolate milkshake. It's a good thing he's cute.

 

Jilly Bean

Marathon Training - Week 11

I stink at blogging, or more specifically, the consistency of blogging.

I freaked out about running 16 miles. And then never said how it ended up. I know you've been waiting on the edge of your seat.

Sarcasm aside. I made it. Getting up at 4:15 on vacation to meet a perfect stranger (through a local running club) to run through the PITCH black streets of the Outer Banks to run 16 miles.

Thank goodness for angels, because that is what the wonderful woman, K, is after hosting me for this run. After we started, she told me that this was a recovery run after her 50 km race last week.

Huh? Say what? What have I gotten myself into?

Well, she was awesome. We had great conversation, got to see the sun rise, and easily tackled the first 8 miles. She started not feeling so great shortly before 10, but stuck it out with me for 12.5 before making sure I knew where to go for the rest. She was inspiring and I'm thankful to have met her.

So, this is where I'm supposed to tell you it was rainbows and unicorns for the last 3.5. It was not. The humidity struck and I ran out of water. But in the end, it was done. I even clocked 9:08 for the last mile because I was like a horse who could smell the barn. All I really wanted to smell was bacon because I was also hungry.

I might have even called my sister to make sure my family had left me some bacon and eggs for breakfast before coming home. And there may have been a threat involved if it was gone when I got there.

Here's the sweaty selfie with a canal backdrop that made we want to jump in or maybe just sit for a while in those bright chairs.

I couldn't wait to take a picture before chomping down, and yes that is a cran-pomegranate mimosa, and it was AWESOME. And I might have washed this all down with sour cream and onion Pringles after this. Guess I needed some salt.

And the biggest surprise of all was that I felt pretty good the next day. Packing the car with lots of stairs probably helped to work the soreness out.

So, maybe I can do this marathon thing. This run made up for the sucky 10 miler last week and Tuesday's sweatfest.

Week 11 is in the books. No cross-training happened, but longest run yet did.

 

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