Stef's Weekly Chase #10

I am giving the weekly chase a fresh new start. The fall I had on February 11 ended up with a fractured rib so I have not done much but run a half marathon.. Lol! So here it is... New beginnings!!!

1. Run 3 times this week. I don't want to put mileage on my goal because I am still in pain so I will do what I can.

2. Organize my Scentsy/Grace Adele office. I would really like to get back into selling and doing parties but have to organize everything first

3. To go with #2, work on another scentsy fundraiser for my sister in Texas.

4. Always always always clean up and declutter!!!

5. The big challenge for March will be to lose weight. At least 5 but would love 10 pounds.

So there it is....new month new start

Shannon's Weekly Chase

~Shannon's Weekly Chase #10

This week I think everyone in my household is back to normal and healthy and it's Number One son's Birthday week and then it's Number Two's (they are five days apart!)!!

Last week was short and sweet since I was so late getting my goals posted: 

1. Rest (which means walking and not running) for a couple of days then back to the gym and running.  DONE...made it back to the gym for Spin on Thursday and my Arms & Abs class on Friday. Jumped on the treadmill for interval work instead of running outside.  

2. Catch up on much needed sleep! Due to staying with a friend whose dog is deathly afraid of storms and the fact that my nerves were already on edge because of the marathon there wasn't a lot of sleep to be had last weekend.  DONE!! I was able to finally get caught up on Wednesday!! 

3. Finish a product review and get that posted. DONE!!  

4. Continue with Operation Beautiful. I have lots of magazines to donate to my gym so I think I'll include a few notes to be found.  Fell short on this...Had the magazines ready but left them at home. I will do that this week though. 

Now, on to this week and I'm ready!! I'm so excited about this month's challenge! 

Make It Happen!

1. (Challenge) I've joined in on the Motivation & Moxie March Mania! Facebook group. This will be one of my large goals for the month - to complete each day's challenges. 

2. (Challenge) I've also joined the spring Bootie Buster Challenge with Run To The Finish. This will be my second large goal for the month. It's Birthday month in our household so there will be LOTS of cake and sweets so I'm hoping these plans will help me!! 

3. Clean my house!! Since it is birthday month we'll have company (ie grandparents) coming in for visits so I need to deep clean! And then decorate for the Birthdays!!! 

4. I'm working on a giveaway for our blog and I need to get that up and running no later than Wednesday. 

5. Post about my marathon on the blog...I've been putting it off because I've had mixed emotions. 


6. And try to be consistent and post my workouts and run to DailyMile... 

I hope everyone has a great week and makes their goals!!! 

QOTD: What are your goals for the week? 

Rock N Roll NOLA from a Half Marathoner eyes

Ok, February 24, 2013 was suppose to be my first full marathon but I made the decision to back down to the half because I was not properly trained.  Also it ended up being a good idea since I suffered and injury a couple weeks before - a fractured rib.
The days leading up to the race were nerve racking.  The weather in New Orleans was showing rain on Sunday.  So the stress of what to wear for the run and what to pack for gear check was really weighing on me.  But leave it to the South to have the weather change every five minutes :)  Finally the good news of no rain until Sunday afternoon came.. Thank goodness.
We got to the expo Saturday at about 11:00 picked up our swag and then headed straight to the stage to see Brandon from Claim Your Journey speak and perform the song Run Louisiana.  I usually don't listen to the speakers at the expo but I really enjoyed listening to Brandon and the other two speakers ( I am sorry but I don't remember who they were).  It was nice to hear experienced marathon runners talk about "the wall" you hit and that everyone has one -even them- and that you will get through.  I found it very encouraging.  After that we went back to the beginning and shopped and made our way through the expo.  Got some free samples of powerbar, biofreeze, sport beans and downy. I bought my first pair of CEP compression socks (no pink in my size) and the shot glass I get at every RnR.

That night the crazy train group met for dinner at Red Fish Grill on Bourbon.  It was definitely good food and good company.  Megan did a great job planning.  Early dinner for an early night.....

Then it was race day!! Woke up bright and early and tried to get the pre-race jitters out.

Bib of lies

Before

At about 7:20am my corral was off and running.  The course was yet again great and flat.  While running down St. Charles Ave between mile 2-3 I was able to see the elite runners coming back on the other side (mile 7 for them).  It was very inspiring to watch them - saw Mo Farah breezing by.  Those athletes are AWESOME!  

The course brought us up and then back down St. Charles, down Decatur past Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde and the French Market and then we ran all the way up Esplande to City Park.

At mile 12.6 was the turn off to keep going for the full.  By that time that I reached that point there was no question if I was going to try it or stop at the half - my body was screaming STOP!  I was out of AccelGel and had horrible bra chaffing that started at mile 4 along with my side/back that would get tight whenever I stopped.

I finally reached the finish line, grabbed some ice and headed to the group. It was not my best run but was under my worst by a couple minutes -whew!  We enjoyed some beers at the after party, went back to hotel got showered and had lunch and drinks at Pat O's.  We ended up meeting some runners from New York that came down to run their first half marathon.  They were some awesome ladies.  We stayed with them the rest of the night showing them some hot spots on Bourbon Street.  

My New York friends

The Crazy Train Run Group

Overall it was a great race even though I did not do as well as I wanted. I got to hang out with old friends and met new friends.  Runners are definitely different type of people....and I love them.  And last but not least....this is what it was all for:

It is a definite run I will do again.  This time it will be a full marathon!!  The date for 2014 has not been decided yet but I will be there...RockNRoll Nola.  

The only runs for March I have are Foam Fest on March 23 and the Crescent City Classic 10k on March 30th.  I guess that is a good thing to help my rib heal.

Shannon's Weekly Chase

~Core Foods Review~

I feel like I am always on the go! From the time my feet hit the floor at 5:30 am until late at night when everyone is in bed it seems I am go, go, go! Getting a chance to have a sit down meal is few and far between most of the time. So, I was excited when I was given the opportunity to try CORE Foods.  

I was sent 3 different flavors to try: Raw Walnut Banana, Raw Cashew Cacao, and Raw Almond Raisin. 

CORE foods Defender Meals are FRESH with no preservatives. They arrived packed with an ice pack and instructions to store them in the freezer if they were not going to be eaten right away. Notice that the package says how long it will last in the refrigerator or the freezer. If stored in the freezer the instructions are to let it thaw for 10 minutes and then it is ready to eat. 

Defender meals are vegan and organic. The ingredients list is short and everything is easy to pronounce. :) 

I ate mine after my early morning run or after my spin/tabata classes. The instructions say to eat them with 2 glasses of water and you definitely do want to do that. It's supposed to be like a bowl of oatmeal and it does take like a bowl of raw oatmeal. The bars are not hard like other bars I have had. I found them very filling and I was satisfied for several hours. 

My favorite bar was the Raw Walnut Banana. If you like organic, raw foods then you will love these. Overall, I really liked these bars and will be purchasing some in the future. 

Be sure and check out CORE Foods on their website, Twitter, and Facebook.

What are some of your On the go meal options? 

**I received this product free to review through FitApproach and CORE Foods. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the above post are mine and mine alone!!**

Shannon's Weekly Chase #9

Yes, I know its Thursday and the week is over halfway done but better late than never...right? I arrived home to find my oldest son had received several letters of interest from colleges and we have been busy filling out forms and getting information to them. 

A little recap of last week's goals: 


1. Hydrate!! I'm am going to have to make myself do this! Done!! I added in coconut water and my MILA Chia seeds and accomplished this goal! 


2. Reach out to a few friends who I don't see often and let them know how special they are. (Challenge Goal) Have the letters written and envelopes addressed... didn't get mailed though. :( 

3. My husband has his post surgery followup this week so I will have an opportunity to leave a few notes behind for operation beautiful in that office while I wait. DONE!! And then on Thursday my youngest son came down with strep so I took the opportunity to leave more notes at his doctor's office. 

4. Finish my marathon shirt!! I have another option if I can't get the original idea to work. DONE!! And I loved it!! Shout out to Katie Futch for her help!! 


5. Plank-a-day...even when I am in Nola! If only I had to nerve to actually plank on Bourbon Street lol. I did this everyday except Saturday and Sunday...didn't get my plank on Bourbon.  

So for this week my goals are (were since its so late): 

1. Rest (which means walking and not running) for a couple of days then back to the gym and running. 

2. Catch up on much needed sleep! Due to staying with a friend whose dog is deathly afraid of storms and the fact that my nerves were already on edge because of the marathon there wasn't a lot of sleep to be had last weekend. 

3. Finish a product review and get that posted. 

4. Continue with Operation Beautiful. I have lots of magazines to donate to my gym so I think I'll include a few notes to be found. 

I hope everyone is having a great week!! We have a busy weekend planned of high school baseball and a monster truck show!  

~S

Shannon's Weekly Chase #8

Last week was a little overwhelming with my husband's surgery and my oldest son having strep so I didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted too...

1. Continue with my plank-a-day...I think I will go back to posting on Instagram/Twitter and hold myself more accountable that way. Success!!! Posting on Instagram helped!! 

2. Continue to work on my 100oz of water daily. I generally only drink water since I have cut soda's etc out so you would think it would be easy... Not as successful as hoped but I was close to 100oz on several days. 

3. Put my ideas for the blog on the blog this week including our Double Bridge Run and a product that I am testing. I have my ideas ready to put on the blog but with taking care of my husband I haven't had time to sit long enough and put them on the blog. 

4. Challenge Goal - Same goal just another family member. :) Success!! I even managed to sneak in a Valentine's note in my oldest son's lunch box. 

5. Challenge Goal - this should be easy since I'll be at the hospital for quite awhile...I am starting my notes now to leave behind. Success!! I was also able to leave notes at the dentist's office and the pediatrician's office since my oldest son came down with strep the day before my husband's surgery.

6. I almost forgot my biggest goal...finish our shirts for the RnR Full Marathon!! Partial Success! I was able to finish my friend's shirt but wasn't as careful with mine and made a mistake...hope to have it finished by Wednesday. 

So...this week is marathon week and my nerves are starting to go crazy!! I wasn't able to go to the gym or run last week after my husband's surgery so that didn't help release some of my nervous energy.

My goals for this week are: 


1. Hydrate!! I'm am going to have to make myself do this! 


2. Reach out to a few friends who I don't see often and let them know how special they are. (Challenge Goal)

3. My husband has his post surgery followup this week so I will have an opportunity to leave a few notes behind for operation beautiful in that office while I wait.

4. Finish my marathon shirt!! I have another option if I can't get the original idea to work.

5. Plank-a-day...even when I am in Nola! If only I had to nerve to actually plank on Bourbon Street lol. 


I hope everyone has a great week!! ~S

Stef's Weekly Chase #8

We should just call this Stef's Weekly Chase #7 redo....  After a clumsy injury on Monday left me with a bruised rib(s) I did not do anything all week but work and then home to lay down...  So my week 8 will be to do week 7... to recap my goals:

1). Clean/reorganize another room in house (y'all probably think I'm a messy person but I'm not...haha!!! Just trying to declutter my life)

2). Run 15 miles and add strength training.

3). Do taxes - see what the man is taking from me

4). Challenge goal - surprise another somebody

5). Finish what I started with last week goals.