This morning I ran the St. Leo's 10K and set a new PR! 50:34 (8:09 pace) and we had perfect NC weather. I was second in my age group but was so upset that first place was only 10 seconds ahead of me. I will sprint harder next time!

My dad ran the 5k (and won his age group) and then ran the 10k with me. And he even let me beat him by a few seconds. He's awesome. Thanks to my wonderful fiance for always being at the finish line & always taking pictures for me!

Okay, so I have a really funny story about this race. You know how when you're racing and you pick out someone in front of you that you absolutely have to beat? Well, for this race it was the Chick-fil-a cow. Someone in the Chick-fil-a cow suit ran the entire 10k and was about 200 yards in front of me the whole time. I was getting so upset that the person in the cow suit was beating me, so I really picked up the pace the last quarter mile or so to beat him. When we were just feet from the finish line I thought I wasn't going to catch him, but he took a tumble. Luckily my fiance was able to catch the whole thing on camera.. Poor cow.

I spent the rest of the day with my adorable nephew at the Farmer's Market where I ate my weight in boiled peanuts. MMMMmm

My sister in law and I are obsessed with these wine slushies that we found in a little wine shop in the town where I grew up. So naturally we had to go get some today (they are amazing). They were left over from St. Patrick's Day so they were green.. and so were our mouths.

Did anyone else race today?? How did you do?

1. This little girl. She just always has to be number one.. I took her to my parent's house before work so she could play with her cousin & bff Snuffleupagus - my brother's black lab/pit bull mix (pictures to come).

2. These jeans that I got in my Stitch Fix this month. Who doesn't love polka dots?? And yes that is a golf ball under my desk at work that I use to roll out my feet during the day. Plantar fasciitis prevention!

3. It's rest day. I get to race tomorrow! So today I'm resting and drinking lots of water. And eating lots of carbs, which is always fun. I came across this quote on Pinterest. I always get a little nervous/anxious before a race, and I'm always hard on myself if I don't set a new PR every time. But running is not ALL about racing.. and I just thought this was so fitting for the way I feel today:

What is your favorite running quote or mantra? 

Do you have any pre race rituals??

Dixie was soooo excited to run today since I didn't take her yesterday. Then, we opened the front door and her poor little dreams were crushed.

Rain. If you can't tell by the fact that my dog is wearing a raincoat or how she is standing at a safe distance from the water line in order to stay dry, she does not enjoy the rain. 

I love to run in the rain but it was way too cold today so I was off to another treadmill workout for the evening. 3 miles @ 8:35 pace. Felt really easy and comfortable, even when my Hulu episode of Nashville made me cry during mile 2. 

For dinner I wanted to try some delicious looking bread balls stuffed with cheese that I've been seeing all over pinterest. 

The recipe is here: http://www.spendwithpennies.com/garlic-cheese-bombs/ 

I didn't really follow the recipe exactly but I just knew I want mine to include butter, cheese and bread. I stuffed cheese cubes into biscuit dough, rolled them up and covered them in melted butter and garlic powder. 

Okay so that's the only picture I have because when they came out of the oven we ate them so fast there was no time to take a picture. SO yummy and cheesy.

Don't worry, that was just our appetizer. We also had grilled chicken, broccoli and baked potatoes. And I only put cheese on two of those three things. 

Do you ever run in the rain?? When is it too cold to run in the rain for you?

What's your favorite food reward after a workout? Sweets? Soda? Beer? Mine is obviously cheese. 

Today was a pace workout so I went to the treadmill. Dixie was very sad about this, but it's impossible to do a full 4 miles with her at a steady pace. We made up for it with playtime and lots of snuggles:

4 miles @ 8:24 overall pace (33:38). I ran at 8:27 (7.1 on the treadmill) most of the time and threw in two 1 minute pick ups at 7:30 pace during miles 3 and 4. These are really convenient during Hulu commercials when I get super bored.... and they also help with improving your race pace, especially if you do more than 2 but I got sucked into American Crime again and forgot to go fast.

Dinner took 3 minutes to make at 8:00 this morning. Another crock pot favorite.. shredded italian beef that we use to make french dip sandwiches (I cover mine in cheese obviously). YUMMM. I should start eating off of real plates so my meals look more appetizing but I really hate doing dishes.

All you do is add a london broil, gravy packet, packet of italian seasoning and 1 cup of water to the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours (mine cooked for 9 and it was fine). 

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2 months until my first half marathon! I feel excited now, but I know I’ll being getting veryyyyy anxious as the date gets closer. I have 8.5 weeks until my half marathon and 6.5 weeks left in my training. I did that on purpose.. that’s just a personal preference so I don’t get too stressed about the schedule. If I can run 12 miles two weeks before my half, then I’ll feel a lot more confident on race day that I’ll be able to finish strong and on pace. Dixie and I did 3 miles today at 8:10 pace. She was very distracted in mile 1 by squirrels, smells, etc so our splits were 8:24, 8:17 and 7:58. Now, on to the important stuff.... dinner :) :) I first discovered this recipe on Pinterest (of course), pinned from www.damndelicious.net. I made my own adjustments and I’ve eaten it twice in the past week because it’s SO good and SO easy. If you are afraid of cooking, don’t worry, you absolutely cannot mess this up. Also, investing in hoisin sauce will make your fridge so much more exciting (available in the asian food section at the grocery store). Dixie was licking her lips

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps (just like PF Changs)

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 pound ground chicken

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         ½ onion, diced

·         ¼ cup hoisin sauce

·         2 tablespoons soy sauce

·         1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

·         1 tablespoon sesame oil

·         1 (8 oz) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced (I use half a can)

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

·         1 head butter lettuce Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken, garlic and onions. Be sure to crumble the chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks and drain any excess liquid after it is done (about 6-8 minutes). Stir in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil and cook an additional 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the chicken into lettuce wraps and eat them like tacos! 

The first time I made this I used a regular head of lettuce, which was a big mistake. It fell apart and I couldn’t get it to work as a wrap so we basically ended up eating a salad with the chicken filling on top, which tasted good, but looked terrible. Butter lettuce (aka "Boston lettuce" at food lion?) works much better.

If you have easy go-to recipes that you love to eat all the time, share them with me!! I’d love to feature some on my blog with your permission of course : ) Comment below or you can email them to me: dixieruns@gmail.com

Goodnight from Dixie in one of her favorite spots

This is my half marathon training plan (from www.halhigdon.com) on my fridge. I spend a lot of time opening and closing this door, so I see this several times a day. 

I can see exactly what I am supposed to do and can focus on these tiny goals in order to reach one big one. A lot of people get overwhelmed when they think about a big goal. If you break that goal down into a lot of smaller parts, it starts to seem a lot more achievable. Also, write everything down! I can’t stress this enough. Having a written plan with dates and deadlines gives you something to focus on and leaves no room for excuses. I feel so good being able to check a workout off my list.

Having a schedule to go by is kind of like having a coach. One important thing to remember – missing one day or cutting your run a half mile short will NOT destroy everything. There have been weeks where I struggled with a 4 mile run after work but then felt amazing during my weekend long run. Every day is different and the way you run is dependent on your mood, energy levels, and so many other factors. I also allow myself flexibility (you can tell by my scribbling) so I can switch workouts if I have to.

Today was a rest day so I did some core work and free weights and took Dixie for a walk because it was 80 degrees outside! I found this delicious quinoa chickpea avocado salad recipe on Pinterest and had to make it for dinner with turkey burgers and sweet potatoes. I added feta cheese and it was SO good. Click for Recipe

Image from www.skinnytaste.com

Another reason I like the treadmill.. minimal soreness the next day. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not doing a lot of hills or because my legs are finally adjusted to the longer distances, but I felt really great today after my 8 miles yesterday. I still made sure to stretch a lot and did some major foam rolling.

Dixie still doesn't understand why this doesn't belong to her. I use a rumble roller, and I must be honest with you, it's a little intense. It gets the job done, but it isn't the most pleasant experience. The bumps press deep into your muscles and it feels great when you're done, but can be a little painful (the way a really good massage hurts) while you are rolling. 

After a long run on Saturday, I always make sure I reward myself for putting in the work all week. I’ve learned that celebrating small achievements will motivate you to work that much harder. My small celebrations usually include a good beer and lots of cheese covered foods and I NEVER feel guilty about these indulgences… especially when I stick to my plan. 

I thought 20,000 steps was worthy of a very cheesy meal. Tonight's reward: turkey burger (covered in cheese of course), Blue Moon and my absolute favorite mac and cheese. I've been using this recipe for years and it hasn't failed me yet. I use shredded cheese instead of cubed (I always add a little extra) and top with panko breadcrumbs.

What are your big goals and what small goals do you celebrate along the way? How do you reward yourself or celebrate your achievements??

Today I was so excited to take Dixie on a long run, until we woke up and realized the earth was a giant mud hole and it was pouring down rain. So, I had to decide whether I wanted to push it until tomorrow when it will be 70 and sunny or go to the dreaded treadmill. The treadmill won, Dixie was very sad about this.

It's really hard to think about anything but numbers when they are staring you in the face, which is one reason why I hate the treadmill. But I was thankful that I could maintain a steady pace and control my incline throughout the run. This was the first time I've done this distance so it was important that I started slow and maintained an easy pace throughout. Also, I started a new show and watched Hulu the whole time (American Crime - first episode and some of the second. It's good so far!), so that helped with the boredom. Here's today's recap:

I was so excited to press stop when it hit 8 miles... didn't even make it to 8.01. I varied my pace throughout (but kept it between 8:49-9:05) and added in a 0.5 incline for 2 minute intervals during miles 5 & 7 just for fun

...and here's a picture of my breakfast because it was super good and full of yummy carbs for energy

If you have other ways to overcome the treadmill boredom, please share! Hulu/Netflix works for the most part, but I can't get over seeing the mileage and clock out of the corner of my eye. 

I love Fridays. Not just because the weekend is almost here, but because is is almost always rest day. On my Thursday runs, I usually go a little harder at the end because I know I will have a full day to recover. There is a common misconception that rest makes you slow, when actually the opposite is true. If you don't give your muscles time to adapt to the additional workload, you will risk getting injured. And if you've ever tried running when you're sore or fatigued, you know how painful that can be. If you are consistently adding mileage like I am right now, it is crucial to take rest days each week so your muscles can recover. I take 2 rest days (Mondays and Fridays most weeks) and cross train on Sundays.

Rest day can also be frustrating and can make me feel lazy... especially when your Vivofit looks like this at 4 p.m. (red means GET UP)

This is typical for a work day, but I usually feel better knowing I get to go run after work. I have to remind myself that low numbers are okay on rest days.

We enjoyed some Hornets basketball tonight. And a beer because it tastes better when you pay $8 for it...

Dixie got her rest in also...

This was from last night. Dixie doesn't know if she likes blogging yet... Unless I can do it one handed while giving belly rubs with the other (also, I have to constantly remind her that my foam roller is not a toy)

I love reading other runners' blogs, and I'm always amazed at how many people run in the mornings (I envy and admire you). I don't think I could ever do it. Just for fun, I looked up what time my gym opens just in case I ever want to try it (which I won't). 5 a.m.! I can't believe anyone would want to work out at 5 a.m. We always run in the evenings after I get home from work. Dixie and I think it is important to wake up slow in the mornings. Case in point:

Morning runs are just not for us. 

Before I left for work, I made one of our favorite crock pot meals - Salsa Chicken.  It is incredibly simple and so tasty. I don't have the patience to do meal prep, but if you do, this chicken is PERFECT for it. It is so good on salads, in wraps, or served with rice and veggies. Recipe here!! When I got home I turned it into Salsa Chicken Enchiladas covered in cheese. Amazing!!

Today's run: 4.2 miles in the most gorgeous, perfect North Carolina running weather @ 8:22 pace

Favorite songs from today's run:
Iggy Azaela - Goddess
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days are Over (Dixie's fav!!)
Marina and the Diamonds - How to be a Heartbreaker
Maroon 5 - Sugar (This came on right at the end, which led to the 7:40 finishing pace)

Well, this is kind of strange. I’ve always been hesitant to share my running experiences, but I'm excited to start documenting my marathon training journey! I've been a runner for as long as I can remember, but I haven't always pushed myself to be a better runner.
Throughout high school and college, I have gone through ups and downs with running, but it has been an unbelievably important part of my life. When I finally realized that running could only make my life better, I began to appreciate it so much more.

Now, more about my Dixie Belle. My fiance and I rescued her in June 2012 when she was 9 months old. She was born in the shelter and spent very little time outside of her cage. She had been adopted once before but was returned a few days later. Most people would see this as a red flag, but when she was trying so desperately to lick me through her cage I knew I had to have her and nothing else mattered. She is the most loving, sweetest creature I have ever met. She truly loves life and is excited about EVERYTHING. When we get home from work she wags her tail so hard that her whole body wiggles. She is also a very talented runner.. she can probably run a 4 min mile. Seriously... she's so fast. Sometimes she tries to go out too hard. We're working on pacing... Here she is - enjoying her favorite snack and resting on her blankie!

Earlier this year I decided to start training for my first half marathon. 5 weeks into training I have gained a whole new perspective on running. Once you let go of the fear of failure, you are basically limitless in what you can achieve. My plans for a half marathon quickly turned into plans to run my first marathon. I’m considering the half marathon part of the training process. I’m giving myself plenty of time (half marathon in May, marathon in November) because of all of the wedding festivities that are going to be taking place over the next 6 months (I'm getting married in September!!). I want to prove that you can have a busy life and still find time to achieve your goals!

Current training pace: 8:00 - 8:30/mi

Most recent race: 10K - 52:49

Half Marathon goal: 1:50

Marathon goal: 3:45-3:50

Yesterday's run was a steady 3 mile run on our usual route through downtown Mocksville and Rich Park. I had a pretty interesting mix of music going... Here are some of my favorite tracks from the run:

Bastille - Pompeii (Kat Krazy Remix) 
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Kenny Chesney - Wild Child