Training Update

I'm in full force half marathon training for the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon on April 19th in Louisville. 

 

This race was my first half marathon after having Chapman, so my goal last year was to finish with at least a 2:30:00 or less. I finished in 2:13:57. Needless to say, I was pretty pleased with that. It's not my best time, but not my worst either.

 

My next race was the Iron Horse Half in Midway in October. I made sure to take plenty of training time for this one so that I could hopefully finish better that I had the time I had run this race pre-pregnancy. When I ran it pre-pregnancy, I finished in 1:59:48. This is the only time I had ever finished in under 2 hours. So, training was rough because I wanted to beat my past time. I'm glad to say that I did beat it with a 1:59:36. Only by 12 seconds, but hey, it's 12 seconds and a PR!!!

 

Now...for this year's Derby.

 

First and foremost, this race is VERY flat. Now, don't get me wrong, I like a flat course, but I like some rolling hills too. I feel like too much flatness, and I'm constantly using the same muscles in the same ways and my legs get tired faster than if there are some hills to give my legs a break.

 

Goal: Being that this is a flat and pretty fast course, I am hopeful that I can get a half-marathon PR for this race. And if my training is an indicator, I feel like it's looking pretty good. My long run last weekend was an 8 miler and I averaged 8:55 per mile, and honestly felt like I could go for five more. My average pace for he month of February at this point is an 8:58 per mile. I need to run a 9:05 pace to beat my current PR. So, I'm hopeful, but I'm not expectant. I know that race day can bring lots of things that we aren't expecting. 

 

With that said, just run! Just run, enjoy my friends, and have a good time. Not to mention, this will be my stepfather's first mini, so GO STONEY!

 

My long time running buddy Bobbie got me a gift once that said, "Definition of a good run - sun in your face, wind at your back, friend by your side."

And the winners are...

Well, for my Safety Bug giveaway, I only had three entries - and needed three winners! I guess it will take some time to get back into the blogging world, but I'm very glad to announce the winners of my first giveaway back...

 

 

Sherry Peavler

 

 

Trish at Begin Again and Again and Again

 

and

 

 

Mama Ruby at I'm a Runner's Mom

 

 

 

Trish - send me your mailing address at sheri.satterly@Danville.kyschools.us.

 

Sherry and Ruby - I will give you yours in person!



Back at it with a Giveaway!

Hello fellow runners and bloggers! I know it's been awhile for me in the blogging world, but I'm vowing to make a turn around and get back at it. So, what better way to get back at it than with an update and a GIVEAWAY!

 

As far as an update from home goes...

 

Chapman is now 18 months old! He is the most amazing little guy in the world and he constantly keeps us on our toes. He loves to snuggle and loves to climb. He is no doubt, 110% boy! We grow to love him more and more each day.

 

As far as an update for running...

 

Since pregnancy, I've completed several 5K races (almost had a PR) and 2 half-marathons. I PR'd my half-marathon time by about ten seconds at the Iron Horse Half Marathon in Midway, KY. 1:59:36!!! Currently, I am training for the Derby Festival Half Marathon in Louisville, KY on April 19th. I've not quite decided what the goal is yet, but the goal is definitely to PR, just not sure by how much. We shall see. Training is going pretty good. I've been consistently running faster than race pace, so hopefully that's a good sign. Not to mention, this 13.1 is super flat!

 

Now for the giveaway...

 

I have something for you night runners out there!

 

I have three SafetyBug from Panther Vision - super bright strobe lights to give away to three lucky winners. The SafetyBug light has 5 ultra-bright flashing LED lights. It is the smallest and brightest safety light around and has multiple magnetic attachments. You can attach it by using the stick pin, the adhesive disk or the magnet attachment. Very versatile! It also has up to a 1/2 mile visibility!

 

 

How to enter (leave a comment on this post for each):

 

1. Be a follower of my blog and let me know.

 

2. Share this giveaway on Facebook.

 

3. Share this giveaway on Twitter.

 

4. Visit the Panther Vision website HERE and tell me what you just have to have!

 

5. Visit Panther Vision on Facebook HERE and like their page.

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

This giveaway will run until Sunday, February 23rd at 11:59 p.m.



Time to get back on the blogging wagon...

Well, when they said a baby changes your life, they were totally legit. My little man is seven months old now, and needless to say, several things have taken a backseat to being a mommy! :)

 

Here is one of my little man's six month pictures. We may be biased, but we feel like he's just a little bit adorable! He's teething like a champ, getting ready to crawl, and ACTIVE, ACTIVE, ACTIVE!

When he really does start moving, we are in big trouble!

 

Needless to say, being a mommy has changed my life tremendously, in wonderful ways. My husband and I spend a lot more time at home, and running has changed. I have to run when I can, which means 5:00 a.m. runs and long runs after school.

 

I am currently training for my first half-marathon since Chap was born, the Derby Festival Mini-Marathon in Louisville. I have a few weeks before the race and am up to nine miles, at a 9:40 pace. While I would LOVE to finish in under 2 hours, I know that's probably not a feasible goal. I have to remember that I just had a baby and that finishing this half marathon is an accomplishment in itself.

 

I also look at running in a completely different light now that I'm a mommy. I don't go out for dark runs by myself anymore, and I look at running as something that keeps me healthy so that I can be there for my husband and for Chap.

 

Anyhow, just wanted to post an update to get started back in the blogging world. I'm looking forward to getting back on the blogging wagon. I have several updates for you all and several GIVEAWAYS! Stay tuned!



Up and Running!

Well, it's September 20th, and baby Chapman is already one month old! Time has flown already, I dread how fast it will go from this point. I am thoroughly enjoying my time with him. It's hard to believe that I only have three more weeks to spend with him, but I'm trying not to think about what it will be like to go back to work.

 

As far as running, the doctor cleared me last Friday to get out and run. So, what did I do on Saturday? I RAN! My friend Sarah and I took off for a three miler on Saturday morning. She hadn't run in a few weeks, so we were both kind of starting from scratch. We ran three miles and did minimal walking. We made it a mile and a half without walking at all, which I feel is good, considering I haven't run in nine weeks. I've been walking since I stopped running, but it just isn't the same. So, to be able to do three miles the first time out felt pretty good.

 

On Sunday, Chapman and I participated in the Constitution 5K as our first race. I ran the race and my parents walked and pushed Chapman in the stroller. I finished in 34:49 (by my watch) and was able to be there to cross the finish line with my little man! While it's definitely my slowest 5K in years, it just felt good to be out there participating. Here is a picture of Chapman and I after the race. They even gave him his own bib that we hung from the stroller.

 

 

We had a lot of fun and I hope that running is something that Chapman and I can share together for the rest of our lives. As far as MY running, it's feeling okay at this point. I'm a little tender in certain areas, but other than that, I feel great! I went out for a run last night and was able to average about a 10:10 mile, which is pretty good for not running for nine weeks. Hopefully I'll be back to those faster miles soon and adding some mileage!

 

 



Baby Chapman has arrived!!!

Well, I know I've been slacking on blogging, but we've been finishing up with getting ready for Baby Chapman's arrival. And...it's a good thing we did! Baby Chapman decided to make his appearance a week early, so we were very glad to be as prepared as we were! :)

 

Chapman was due on August 28th, but decided to make his grand entrance on August 20th at 11:53 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long, and to us, he's perfect in every way. We look at him and wonder how it's possible to love something as much as we love him.

 

Here are a couple of pictures to show you just how cute he is!

 

 

This was right after he had been cleaned up and Daddy was getting ready to hold him.

 

 

He's a week old in this one. I love those lips!

 

New baby aside, I absolutely cannot wait to start running again! We are going to start some walking this week and will go from there.

 

Also, look for some awesome reviews and giveaways to come once I start running again. I have tons of goodies just waiting to be used and given away!

 



Usually the optimist, today the pessimist (not really)

I'm usually the one who always sees the "silver lining" as my husband says. And I am still seeing the silver lining in everything right now, I mean, I'm getting ready to welcome my first child into the world. How could I not see the silver lining? But, that doesn't mean that there aren't things in life that are frustrating. Things frustrate me just as much as anyone else, I just normally tend to see the brighter side because it's a waste of time and energy to let things get you down. Things could be so much worse, and that's what I tell myself when I start to feel sorry for myself.

Here's my frustration today, and then I'm done with it.

I stopped running at about 34 1/2 weeks because it was unbearably hot and I was running so slow that I may as well have been walking anyway. Obviously, I've gained weight through this pregnancy, along with slowing down. My frustration is that everyone around me is still running and can still run. I miss running. I miss being able to go out on a Saturday morning and have a long run with my running friends. It's like I've fallen off the radar and I can't get it back for at least another month or so.

I don't want to have to start from scratch. I don't want to never gain my speed back. I want to be able to run another half marathon and have it be a PR. I'm scared to death that I'll never have that back. People keep telling me that it will be fine, that I will be able to come back even stronger. I try to tell myself that everyday when I can't run, while everyone around me can.

So, that's my soapbox for the year. I know that no one likes to read things like this, but I had to get it off my chest, and I feel better.

A question...

Have you ever had to take a long break from running, not by choice? If so, how did you make it back to where you were before?

Only 5 weeks to go!

So, we are closing in on the finish line of this pregnancy. Only five more weeks! (Give or take.) Here's a pic!

I have pretty much stopped running, about a week and a half ago. I'm sticking to walking and riding my bike on the trainer at home. I figure as long as I'm keeping up some kind of cardio for the next five weeks, I'm still being active. My motivation at this point is that it will make labor much easier.

My husband and I are getting so excited to meet our little Chapman! He's already turned and I feel like I can feel him moving lower everyday. His movements aren't as high as they used to be and I'm experiencing back pain and some pain in my pelvic area. Hopefully that means he will be here soon!

On a running note, I'm trying to decide what I want to be my first big race back in the game. I am honestly having long run withdrawals! I miss the long run so much and I miss the half marathon. I can't wait to run a half marathon, but I want to make sure that I'm ready for it when I do. I don't want to go out there and not be able to perform the way I did before I was pregnant. So, that means giving myself plenty of training time.

With that said, if he's born at the end of August as planned, I could be ready to run one by December, I think. Anyone have any suggestions for a good half marathon to run in December or after?

Razzy Roo Headband Winners!

The random numbers chosen by www.random.org to win the RazzyRoo headbands are...

#6 - Suz and Allen

and

#15 - Bobbie from Journey in Running

Suz and Allen, email me your mailing info at sheridunlee@bellsouth.net and I will send out your headband.

Bobbie, I'm sure I'll see you soon to get you yours!

Congratulations!

Strange aching...any ideas?

Jeremiah and I ran two miles last night and in the middle of our run, my Achilles area started hurting on the outside of my left leg. Since last night, it's gotten worse and now it's not only in my Achilles, but it stretches about halfway up the back of my calf.

It doesn't feel injured, maybe just strained. It feels like I have a 'charlie horse' in my calf that won't go away. I have stretched it and stretched it, used my stick to roll it, and nothing. It's not unbearable, just annoying.

Anyone have any ideas as to what this could be? What muscle? What tendon? Anything?



31 weeks today and FRUSTRATED!

I can't say that I've ever been one to blog about the bad things in my life or what's bothering me, but today is just one of those days. Nothing has really gone wrong, I just feel blah! And it takes a lot for me to feel that way. My husband tells me that he wishes he could always see the silver lining like I do, but I'm just not seeing it much today.

I'm beginning to have trouble with my running. I'm 31 weeks pregnant, and I'm grateful that I've made it this far. I just can't seem to shake the feelings of "Where did the runner I used to be go?" I keep reading blogs and posts about how great everyone is doing and how much faster they are getting, but not me. Oh no...not Sheri. I just keep getting slower and slower. And I completely understand why I'm getting slower, and I'm okay with that. It's not right now that bothers me.

What bothers me is later. What if I can't ever get back to the runner I used to be? What if I can't speed up or lose the weight post-pregnancy? You see, it's not the present that scares me, it's the future. I keep thinking I have these lofty goals of coming back better than I was before, but I just don't know. Baby Chapman is going to take a lot of our time as parents, and that is what's more important to me.

I guess I just have to remember that every Mommy and Daddy need their 'me' time. I have some wonderful family who will be willing to let me go run for an hour or two while they spend quality time with their grandson or nephew.

This pregnancy has been one of the easiest things I've ever done. I'm still running, I haven't been sick AT ALL, and you can't tell I'm pregnant from behind. I have thoroughly enjoyed being pregnant, I must say. The only thing that bothers me is the road back to where I used to be. But, with perseverance and determination, hopefully I can do it.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Don't forget my giveaway for RazzyRoo headbands! :) Just click...

HERE!

Razzy Roo Headband Review and Giveaway!

Everyone who is a runner, a runner with hair that is, is always looking for the perfect headband to wear. I've tried every headband out there and have not been disappointed so far. I really was not disappointed with the one I tried most recently. Christy over at RazzyRoo Headbands sent me a couple of headbands to review and a couple to give away.

I chose to wear my first RazzyRoo during a half marathon that I ran back in March. I chose the pink/purple sparkle one because it matched the outfit I was wearing during the half. This outfit was pretty important to me because this was the half I ran while pregnant. It was my slowest half ever, but it felt so good to cross the finish line and know that my future child completed it with me.

Anyhoo...the headband was wonderful! I didn't have sweat in my eyes during the race, but most of all, I didn't have to adjust the headband during the entire 13.1 miles. I absolutely love this headband. I have a pink one and a black one that I wear on a regular basis. I am normally not a sparkly kind of girl, but I have to say, I love both of my headbands. They both sparkle, and I love them! They have quickly become two of my favorites. I just wore one this morning during my morning run. :)

This is a picture of the headband itself.

This is a picture of the entire outfit for the half.

Now for the giveaway! I have two of these sparkle Razzy Roo's to give away. One of them is the same color as the one I'm wearing above, and the other is green. They are both sparkly ladies! There will be two winners, each winning one headband.

To enter the giveaway...

1. Be or become a follower of my blog and post a comment telling me so.

2. Go to the Razzy Roo website HERE and tell me which headband you would absolutely love to have and leave me a comment.

3. Like RazzyRoo on Facebook HERE and leave me a comment.

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment.

5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook and leave me a comment.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, June 28th at 11:59 p.m.

Good Luck!

WOW...it's been a long time!

WOW, it has been a long time! I guess pregnancy has gotten the best of me. I have been so busy with getting ready for the baby that I haven't had time for much of anything. But, I promise that starting today, I'm going to be back on the blogging bandwagon! :)

Just to catch my readers up on a few things...

1. We have found out that we are having a BOY! Samuel Chapman Satterly is due to make his appearance into the world on August 28th! We are so very excited about this new venture in life. I'm so blessed to have the husband and families that I have to support me through this endeavor.

2. Am I still running? YES! I will be 30 weeks pregnant on Tuesday, and running is still a part of my routine. I've slowed down quite a bit and I have to get up pretty early to beat the beat, but it's worth it to know that running can only make labor and delivery easier. This is a big plus for me considering my plan is to welcome our little guy into the world with the use of NO drugs. YIKES! We'll see what happens! :)

3. I've been running in the Brooks Green Silence shoe for awhile now, long enough to have gone through about five pairs of them. The shoe still exists, but they have changed the material and they aren't as flexible. I ended up taking a pair back that I bought. I'm beginning to have some trouble finding the old version in my size, so I'm thinking about switching shoes. I am seriously considering the Brooks PureConnect. The PureConnect or the PureCadence seem to be the closest to what I'm running in now. My question is...has anyone run in them? Do you like them or not? 

4. Also, my Garmin is getting ready to call it quits. I am seriously looking to the Garmin Forerunner 405 as a replacement. Anyone use this watch? Like or dislike?

 With all that said, it feels great to be back in the blogging world. I promise I will keep you all posted on the pregnancy and everything that goes with it. My next post will be a review and giveaway of RazzyRoo headbands, so keep your eyes peeled!

Two days of rest before the half! :)

Well, the time has come. It's Wednesday, and Run the Bluegrass is Saturday. I am so very excited for this race! I'm excited mainly due to the fact that I won't be running alone. I will be running with my first child! :) How many children can say they ran a half marathon before they even exited the womb? Well, mine will be able to say that.

I've been doing my long runs with my two friends, Sarah W. and Sarah B. Both of these friends I know from high school, which makes the training all the more special. I don't keep in touch with a lot of people from high school, so it's very nice to be back in touch with people that I was able to share high school with, and now I get to share this with them as well. Even if we don't run together during the race, training was a big part of the fun!

We went out this past Sunday for our last long run before the race, 12 miles. Going into this training, I wasn't sure what to expect out of running while pregnant. At first, I wasn't pleased. During my first trimester, I was SO tired that sometimes I couldn't muster up the energy to run at all, so I didn't. But as soon as my energy started to show back up, I started morning runs. I can't run after school because my feet are swollen and it's very uncomfortable to do so.

As for long runs, I've been very pleased! With all of us! We've all been running the entire runs, and at a pretty good clip. For my eight miler, I averaged around 9:20, my nine miler was an average of 9:19, eleven miler was 9:25, and my twelve miler was 9:37.

Our twelve miler included quite a few hills. We ran a couple of neighborhoods that have some pretty good hills and then we went to the Danville Country Club. Our intention was to just run up the drive to the country club and back out, but when we got down the drive, we decided to run the cart path of the back nine of the golf course. All I can say is, WOW! We definitely had our hill work for the week. This course we're running on Saturday is supposedly pretty hilly, so let's hope we're ready for it!

Run the Bluegrass, here we come!

MyMottoz Product Review and Giveaway!

Recently, I was sent a few product from Shannon over at MyMottoz to review on my blog. Shannon was nice enough to send something for my husband and something for me, which worked out great because my husband gets jealous about all the cool stuff I get. So, it was nice for him to have something as well.

MyMottoz is a company that offers athletic clothing with mantras on them. There are SEVERAL mantras to choose from. You choose the piece you want, and then you choose what mantra you would like printed on your piece. Visit their website HERE to see all that they have to offer. It's been down for maintenance, so if you can't get it to come up, just keep trying.

My husband loves to do boot camps at the gym we attend and they make you wear a white shirt for visibility. He chose the long-sleeved technical shirt in the picture, with the saying "Suck it Up" on it. This is his mantra. He loves this shirt! After he started wearing it, I started having to wash it twice a week so that he could wear it to every boot camp he went to. My husband says this shirt is very comfortable, cool, and keeps moisture off of his skin. He also said that the shirt seems to be of "superior quality". He also liked that he got to choose what motto was put on the shirt.

Shannon also sent me the jacket that I am wearing in the picture above. This jacket is perfect for someone like me because even when it's 10 degrees outside, I can't dress too warm. I am hot natured and never really pull out the fleece workout clothes. I have to keep it as minimal as possible because layers always come off throughout my runs.

This jacket isn't too thin, which means it only works for me in cool/cold weather, but it isn't so thick that I want to take it off 2 miles into my run. It has three pockets; two up front and one in the back. It is perfect for carrying your phone, keys, gels, etc. It even stretches with my pregnant belly, as you can see in the picture.

I chose the motto "Thirteen Point Freaking One". While I'm very proud of myself for having a 26.2 under my belt, it definitely isn't my favorite distance. My favorite distance is by far the half marathon, so that's why I chose this motto. I plan on running half marathons as long as my body will let me, so I felt I needed to give it some recognition. Also, I've had tons of compliments on my jacket and it's motto. Thanks Shannon!

Now onto the giveaway!

Shannon also sent me a technical shirt to give away. The shirt is short-sleeved, size SMALL, and says "I bust mine to kick yours". Receive an entry for each of the following:

1. Become a follower of my blog/or you already are - MANDATORY! Leave a comment telling me that you are following

2. Post this giveaway to your blog.

3. Post this giveaway to your Facebook.

4. If you had a running mantra, what would it be?

This giveaway will end on Sunday, April 1st at 11:59 p.m. GOOD LUCK!

9 mile weekend!

Well, training for this half marathon is coming to an end, and I have to say that I feel much better about it now than I did during my first trimester, due to complete fatigue. Now that the horrible fatigue has subsided, training has been much easier.

I've been waking up and doing 5 a.m. runs and I really enjoy that. This week it's been hard to get a run in because my nephew, a senior starter, was playing the the 12th Region basketball tournament to be able to go to the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament. So, needless to say, we've been following him wherever he's played in the hopes that we would get to see him play at Rupp Arena. But, all good things must come to an end. They played in the region championship and lost by 7 points. We are still so very proud of him!

On another note, this past weekend was scheduled for a 9 mile run. I was a little worried, due to the fact that I'm currently 4 months pregnant and I hadn't done an 8 miler, just a 7. Sarah B., Sarah W., and I started our run at 6:00 a.m., when it was still dark outside. At about 7:00, here came the sun. I have to say that even though it's always tempting to sleep in on a Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed starting our run that early and being able to see the sun rise while I was running. We started at Sarah W.'s house and went through downtown Danville, out to Millennium Park, made a lap around the park, and headed back to Sarah's house.

Now, while I don't have a goal of achieving a PR in this half marathon, I do have the goal of finished with a pace less than 10:00 per mile. I wasn't sure if this was going to be an attainable goal while pregnant, but I think I may have been proven wrong during the 9 mile run. Throughout the entire run, I noticed that I was running at a pace that was faster than my normal 'pregnant pace' right now. But, I just kept running. I feel that when it's time for me to slow down, this baby will make sure I know it's time to slow down or stop.

I finished my run with a pace of 9:19!!! This put me at a total time of about 1:24:00. I don't have my Garmin with me, so I don't know my exact time. Not my best pace on a long run, but I was very pleased with my pace, considering my current state of condition! Now I know that I can finish in under a 10:00 per mile pace. That makes me totally ecstatic! Not to mention that I'm so excited about the weekend of the half in general. My mom, my sister, and I are going up the night before and enjoying a girls night of shopping and dinner. We are staying at the Hilton and just going to enjoy some much needed time spent together. We don't get to do it often enough.

So, my question today is...

If you've ever run pregnant, how did you know when to slow down or to switch to walking?

Specifically Random Headband Winner!

And the winner is, chosen by www.random.org, entry #2...

Jean!

Jean - I will get with you on Facebook about the details!

CONGRATS!

3 Things Thursday

Wow! What a week it has been, and it's not finished yet.

1. I haven't run as much this week as I would have liked, but life happens. I ran 4 miles on Monday, had plans to run Tuesday night but went home and had dinner with my hubby instead, freakish storms all day yesterday, 4 1/2 miles today, 3 tomorrow, and 9 on Saturday. Tomorrow's 3 miler will be an easy 3 so that I can focus on my 9 miler on Saturday. My running week in a nutshell!

2. I'm freaking out about stretch marks! I don't have any yet and don't know if I will get any at all, but they freak me out to no end! We are lake addicts during the summer, and I want to be able to wear my bathing suit!! Anyone out there have any advice on how to help prevent stretch marks?

3. I've decided I need an office assistant. Danville High School is having an intersession week this week where some of their students are job shadowing certain people. I have two high school students with me this week and it's been WONDERFUL! I need this full time!

Three Things Thursday

Three Things for Thursday...

1. I love the 5 a.m. run! It makes the day so much more enjoyable and it feels wonderful to know that my run is finished for the day. I've also enjoyed the run because I've gotten to catch up with people that I don't get to see very often because life just gets in the way.

2. I did a seven miler this past weekend and plan on doing a nine miler this weekend. Hopefully I'll be as prepared as a pregnant woman can be for this half marathon at the end of March. I know I won't be busting out a sub 2 hours or anything, but I would like to finish with an overall pace that is less than a 10:00 mile. I know that doesn't sound very fast for some of you, but believe me, it's pretty good considering how much my pace has slowed due to the pregnancy. I'm very excited about this race for several reasons. One being that this is only the second year for this race, which means that so far, I've run this race every year and plan on making that a tradition. Secondly, my mom, sister, and I have decided to make a girls trip out of it. Yes, it's only about 45 minutes away, but we've decided to go up the night before, get a really nice hotel room, do some shopping, and have a very carb-filled dinner. Then, off to the races! (I say that because this race will begin at Keeneland, a famous horse track in central Kentucky, the horse capital of the world.)

3. Last but not least, I am so very grateful for my husband and how supportive he is being during this pregnancy. Jeremiah, as many of you know, is my very best friend in the whole world. And I wouldn't want to share this experience with anyone other than my best friend. He has been understanding of my fatigue, patient when I've been moody, and brought me anything I needed when I needed it. I honestly couldn't do this without him! And most of all, he's supportive of my running with baby. Thank you Jeremiah!