A New Challenge to Stay "On Track"

Hello friends!

It's been a crazy month. The hubster and I have put our home of 18 years on the market. It was a crazy month of projects and clean up. The toughest part is keeping everything SUPER clean every day and having to be out of the house for hours at a time, each night and weekend. 

This has presented a challenge for me and my clean eating plan - it's tough to find time to shop, prep, cook my healthy, clean meals. This week I mixed pleasure with business and cooked extra chicken breasts at a friend's "Grill & Chill" and brought them home to throw in salads all week for lunch. Sunday I shopped for fresh spinach, broccoli slaw, grape tomatoes, and various bell peppers. I also picked up lots of fruits and veggies, hummus, and Greek yogurt. Add that to my Isagenix shakes for breakfast and the occasional dinner (when I'm too busy to stop, but want to stay away from "fast" food!), and I'm having a wonderfully clean week of healthy eating!

Now, on to my next challenge.  

About 8 years ago, I ran my first half marathon. I trained hard, but on my own, but I was lucky enough to meet a friend on race morning and ended up running the full race with her. I know that she helped me push my pace and I was <THIS> close to making my goal... but I just missed it. By TWO MINUTES. <Heavy Sigh>  ( Here are my official results! 3901 Jennifer Jensen-Marhenke  F30  2:02:17 )  I never topped that time the next 4 times I tried that distance. I moved on to a full marathon, triathlon, and century cycle ride with Team In Training, but those races were about the mission and journey, not the time it took to get there. 

Now I'm ready to challenge myself. It's time for a half marathon PR. 2:00:00 or less. That's my goal. That's what I need to start working on.

Thankfully, not only do I have tips and experience from the fabulous TNT coaches, but I'm lucky enough to work with a certified Road Runners Club of America running coach, my very own Mr. Ben Grojean at Compete Personal Fitness. Sure I've been working with him since January, but this will add a new level of difficulty to my weekly work outs.

Here they are, my new 'wheels'. Typically I'm an ASICS girl, but I'm
going to give these Sauconys a try! So far, they're GREAT!

I've purchased my wheels - aka shoes - which is the most important piece of equipment for a runner. I went to Scheel's and had a fabulous experience (as usual) and ended up with a new brand of shoe! I'm a skeptic and was nervous to take them out for my first run... but they were AWESOME!   Aren't they the cutest?!

So, I went for my first run on Monday. 30-45 minutes of running at conversation pace. I couldn't fit it in until after dark, so I hit my local gym and jumped on the treadmill. Some people dislike the treadmill, but I actually enjoy it! My music, movie or TV, control over my pace, and no creepy dark streets or trails to navigate on my own. Safety first! My second run (last night) was for a full 60 minutes! HOLY SWEAT FEST! I wish workout shirts just snapped off so I didn't have to pull it over my face. YUCK!

So, I'm 16 weeks away from the St. Louis Rock N' Roll Half Marathon with a 2 hour finish time goal. I know that if I stick to my plan, work hard, and smart, and remember all the parts of my whole life and keep balance (rest, working out, eating right, and visits to my chiropractor)!

So, I've started my journey... and I'm excited! I'll be sure to share my progress (Ben took measurements and I weighed in), and hopefully, pictures of me crossing the finish line crushing my PR in St. Louis!

Let me know how your running adventures are going ... or share with me some new recipes!

Until then,
<3 Jen