Month: April 2013

Arts & Crafts

21 Apr
phyllis 8 Comments half marathon training

When I was a young mom, I had a real love affair with arts and crafts.  I loved making fabric covered photo albums, throw pillows, puffy paint accented sweat shirts( preferably holiday themed) and wall hangings.

Once I went back to working  full time those days were over, but this weekend thanks to race day prep for the Nike Women’s Half in DC, I am back in arts & crafts land!

photo-1

It will be so much fun to be back in the arts & crafts game again.  I will just have to find the time 🙂

Stay tuned for the race day finish photo.

Signed,

phyllis4fitness

Mom and a runner

16 Apr
phyllis 12 Comments half marathon training, Team in training, Updates

This weekend I had the great pleasure of watching my daughter run in the More Half marathon in Central Park.  Her dad and I set up camp on Mile 6/12 so close to the course that I could touch the runners.

I watched Laura run by twice and could see her smile and was so proud of her.   She had a great race with her friends from work and it was a wonderful day.

Here is a picture of her from the start of the race.

laurastart

Laura is the one that gave me the running bug.  I love to run now and watching a race and cheering the runners on was almost as much fun.  I knew how valuable it was to make eye contact with someone and say “One More mile, you can do it!”  It really does help.  I clapped so much that my hands hurt for hours!!

Then Monday happened and as a runner and a mother everything collied. I would hate to be a runner and know that my husband who comes to all my races was in danger.  I can’t imagine as a mom of a runner wondering if something could have happened on a part of the course I couldn’t see and maybe my runner was hurt. It was just awful what has happened and what can we do to manage all these emotions?  Cry, pray for the victims and the families, hope for swift justice and then

RUN

Tonight, I join up with my team in training group and we will continue to train for the Nike Women’s Half in Washington DC on April 28.  I will be there, my daughter will be there and my husband will be there with the GO LAURA GO sign we have taken to two previous half marathons.

sign

We are Strands and we are a running family.

signed,

Phyllis4fitness

 

 

Kona kase yum yum review

12 Apr
phyllis 22 Comments product review

Ad
I have been very lucky to receive a box from Kona Kase
This is an awesome box of really delicious and healthy snacks.
The value is incredible for only 15.00 a month.
I am definitely going to sign up for this one.
Just look at all the goodies inside!
This was enough to stock my snack drawer at the office all month.

image

Signed,

phyllis4fitness

 

 

Race Report Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run Washington DC

08 Apr
phyllis 111 Comments Uncategorized

I had the very great pleasure of running the Cherry Blossom 10 mile Run in Washington DC this past weekend.   It was a very well run event from start to finish.

The packet pick up was very streamline but some how I missed the safety pins!  I am sure that was my fault because I was so impressed that the race bib had my name on it. That was the first time that happened for me!

Next up the expo, it was small but I of course managed to find a great race find. I purchased a fuel belt that also holds a race bib.  It worked like a charm.  The ladies at ifit were amazing and made sure I was perfectly happy with my fit.

On Sunday we arrived at my corral in plenty of time to meet up with the most amazing women ever in the GREEN corral.   I lost track of them once we got started but it was a great 25 minutes of catching up.  CUCB 13 forever 🙂

I had planned the race in three sections. Section one the first 5K to the Kennedy Center then  Section two  mile 5 where I would see my amazing husband Chuck and followed by the long stretch the Third  section would be mile 8.5 last water station and the push to the finish line.

I was shocked how fast the Kennedy center was upon me. I looked at my watch and said, ut oh.. you have just burned thru alot of energy and need to dial it back. Then, there was Chuck, wait.. MILE 5!  I handed him my gloves and arms sleeves because I didn’t need them anymore.  He said ” you are doing GREAT”

Miles, 6, 7, 8 felt work. I wished I had taken those first three miles a little slower about then. It was a quiet stretch and the wind kicked up. I was overcome with how gorgeous the day was and how often we used to come here with our 3 children when they were little and I got all emotional.  I tend to do that a lot these days.  Around this time my right knee starting to lock up a bit and I dialed it back a bit.

Mile 9 .9 there was Chuck again and he was waving and I waved back and finished with tears of joy.

THANK YOU WASHINGTON DC

Here is my favorite picture of the day.  A candid shot. Not sure what I was looking at but everything made me happy.

cucbstanding

Now I am resting the knee, cross training and getting ready for the Nike Women’s Half on April 28.

Signed.

Your galfriday4fitness