Skip to content

Amber’s 2011 Recap:

Miles ran: 638
Total Miles of Exercise (running, biking, swimming, elliptical) 1,416

Race Recap:

January
Sgt Preston Yukon King 10k : 1:07:49

February
Frozen Goose 10k 1:13:28
Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon 2:29:34
Beauty and the Beast 5k 45:00
Princess Half Marathon 3:07

March
Get Lucky Half Marathon 2:28:32*

April
Fools Five- 5 Miler: 53:36

May

Diva Dash 10k 1:07:07 *
Spring Classic 15k 1:44:30*
Tour De Cure Bike Ride 100k 5:26:00
Med City Half Marathon 2:38:00

June
Minneapolis Marathon Relay 4:36:36
Rochesterfest Triathlon 1:38:14

July
Spartan Run 5k 35:39
Cardinalman Triathlon
Warrior Dash 58
Waseca Triathlon 2:09:44

August
Tiki Torch Run 5k 37:49
Rochester Half Marathon 5k 33:13
Team Ortho Minneapolis Duathlon 2:28:05 *

September
St Croix Valley Tri Sprint 1:59:32

October
Big Woods Trail 10k 1:11:30
Run Elma 10 Miler 2:03:50*
Rock n Roll St Louis Half 2:43
Monster Dash Half 2:34:44

November
Game Haven True Cross Country 5 Miler 1:01:30
Living History Farms 7 Miler Cross Country 2:04
Turkey Trot 5 Miler 53:13 *

December
Rock n Roll Las Vegas 2:53
Resolution Run 5k 33:34

Posted in Running.

No comments

By amber – December 31, 2011

Conquer

This year my word was conquer. I chose this word with a focus on goals being set and met. Wondering how that went?

My Goals related to Conquering in 2011
1. Conquer my weight. I have about 40 pounds left to get to the goal my doctor set, but seeing as though I never
remember being that weight ever, I will probably be just as happy being at a weight close to that.
maintained my weight, wish I had lost some as well. I enjoyed lots of traveling and too many good meals
2. Conquer enough half marathons to be a half fantatic.I conquered being a half fanatic twice, now to join :-)
3. Conquer a 5k with a time starting with a 30 or below Still working on this, one last change this evening
4. Conquer a sprint triathlon I completed 4 this year! Rochesterfest, Cardinalman, Waseca, and St Croix
5. Conquer the Team Ortho Dualthlon without walking the 5k portions
I took quite a bit of time off of this, but still walked a bit. Much less then last year though
6. Conquer a half marathon in 2:35 or less. I ran 3 marathons under 2:35. I ran a 2:29 in my first half of the year at the Lace Up, a 2:28 at Get Lucky, and a 2:34ish at Monster Dash!
7. Conquer my fear of being to slow or last in racesI am getting faster and I think I finished a head of people at every race this year. I do go back and cheer to support those at the end, because I know how much that stinks.
8. Conquer the clutter monster in my house This is a work in progress. Having everything packed into the craft room for storage as we get ready to conquer the basement finish inspires me to purge!
9. Conquer holding a garage sale and get ride of excess. No time for garage sales this year
10. Conquer getting down at least 1 jean size! I am solidly in the size I bought last year at the Holidays hoping to fit into, not down a whole size necessarily, but in a size I only remember from high school.
11. Conquer a consistent weight training regiment. I did meet with a trainer before Christmas, haha, will keep this on the docket for 2012

Posted in Running.

No comments

By amber – December 31, 2011

Making it Work Monday- 1/31/2010

    Week in Review

Monday Run 2 miles recovery, elliptical, swim- 900 yards Ran 2 miles on the treadmill, 2 miles in a little over 20 minutes, elliptical, and then a 600 yd swim
Tuesday elliptical, speed work at the track, walking Completed as stated. Speed work is getting easier.
Wednesday run 2 miles, elliptical, swim 900 yards It was a tough decision, but in my mind I knew I needed a rest day so I took one. It helped both physically and mentlaly
Thursday run 2 inside, elliptical, run outside with Team RED Ran 1.6 before Team Red, 3 with Team RED and then .50 after. Great day for running outside
Friday run 5 miles, elliptical to round out Ran a 5k and then onto the elliptical. Run was rough so I cut it short
Saturday Long Run 10 miles 10 miles in and kept I kept a great pace
Sunday Biking and Swimming 1,000 yards The weather outside was beautiful so we decided to try out cross country skiing. We headed out for almost 2 hours going 3.5 miles out at a City Park. We chose classical style and the trails were well groomed for the most part with tracks. I am looking forward to getting out there again soon.

This week:
Monday- Run 5 miles, try it at a tempo pace
Tuesday- Elliptical, Speed work at the track, swim
Wednesday- Short Run, Long Bike, Short Swim
Thursday- Team RED run night
Friday- Short Run, Bike, Swim
Saturday- 10k Run, hoping to add some miles to round out 10 for the day, if I run the race hard, I might just call it good :-)
Sunday- Bike Ride and Swim

Posted in Running.

No comments

By amber – January 31, 2011

Tuesday Tips

I am not an expert runner, but I have invested time into training, research, and spending time with other runners, so I thought on Tuesdays I could share things I have picked up along the way.

Today’s Topic: Keeping Long Hair Out of Your Face

As a former long haired runner and now a short haired runner with hair that likes to curl still I have experimented with different types of hair things to keep my hair out of the way while running. I do not like to have to brush my hair out of my face or have it on my neck. I have tried many things, but here are the few that I love and use often:

1. Bondi Bands
I love Bondi Bands! I found these at the gym I belong to and I started buying one each week I completed a long run when I was training for my first half marathon. I own about 10 of these and I love that they are in tons of colors and styles. They really can make a workout outfit fun. I prefer the ones that do not have the wicking, so the ones I use are not great for heavy sweat workouts, but for everything else they are perfect. I especially love that they fit great under my bike helmet.

2. Lululemon Slipless Headband
I love these! I own a ton in bright pink, which they seem to not carry anymore. They are perfect for the gym, running, and biking. I have been known to wear one to hang out in as well. They are a bit pricey, but if you can find a deal on them they are worth it. I will be looking out for them when I am in Florida at the Outlet.

3.

Posted in Tuesday Tips.

No comments

By amber – January 25, 2011

Making it Work Monday- 1/24/2011

Hello Friends! It was a great week last week and despite not sticking to the plan 100% I did manage to burn 1,000 calories or more each day, even if it took forever. Let’s look at what the plan was:

Monday- 7 Miles on Elliptical (500 Cal), 600 Yard Swim (375), Wii Fit (140 Cal) 1,015 Completed, since I typed this after I did this workout)
Tuesday- Gym for Biking or Elliptical (600 Cal) Track Workout 2-3 Miles (4-500 Cal) Awesome track workout that I finished with some speed walking chatting with a Team RED member
Wednesday- Gym for Elliptical/Stair Climber (500 Cal) and Swim 800 Yard Swim (500 Cal) I was not feeling the elliptical today so I biked instead, it was frustrating the new fancy bikes do not allow you to enter any stats so you can get an accurate calorie burn. The swim was one of my best yet, with no need to skimp and backstroke laps.
Thursday- Bike 5 Miles, Run 5 Miles Here is where the plan went astray. Adam was home when I got home and was not feeling 100% and actually napped for 2 hours. It was bitterly cold and I did not feel like going out to the gym. I decided then I would break out the wii again. We had a boxing program I wanted to try out. Little did I know it would take 3 hours to reach 1,000 calories. It had lots of down time for things to be explained and menus to load. It did kill my arms though, ouch! I was hurting for days.
Friday- Long Run 8 Miles Well time got the best of me today, but I used what I had an cranked out a speedy 6.5 miles prior to the hockey game. It went to so well I was determined to do it again on Sunday and even do more then 8!
Saturday- (If I am exhausted Friday after school once again I will switch Friday and Saturday) Elliptical and Swim 800 Yards No swimming, but I did make it through a cycle on the elliptical, precor, and cross ramp. I didn’t swim since we were going out to lunch with friends
Sunday- Bike 10 Miles, Elliptical After Friday’s great run I could not wait to get out there again. Today I ran 10 miles pretty much straight other 1-2 laps walking and stops to fill my water bottle or drink. It was very dry in the gym today so I felt the need to drink lots while out there. I started out pretty speedy and was amazed how comfortable it felt. I think this is a great sign that the speed work is working! Adam said around mile 5 I was definitely faster since it was taking much longer for him to catch up to me then usual. I ended up running 10 miles in 1:55:06 ( I blame the 06 on kids hanging out where they should not have been on the track). This is an 11:35 pace, which for me is dang speedy for a long run. I can still remember last year when my goal was a 12 minute pace for a 5k.

This week:
Monday Run 2 miles recovery, elliptical, swim- 900 yards
Tuesday elliptical, speed work at the track, walking
Wednesday run 2 miles, elliptical, swim 900 yards
Thursday run 2 inside, elliptical, run outside with Team RED
Friday run 5 miles, elliptical to round out
Saturday Long Run 10 miles
Sunday Biking and Swimming 1,000 yards+

Posted in Running.

No comments

By amber – January 24, 2011

Making it Work Monday- 1/17/2010

This post is slightly delayed due to a late night workout last night and the need for sleep over blogging. I am hoping each Monday to post my workout plan for the week. Hopefully by doing this I will stick to my plan better and get the miles in for running, build up my swimming, and get the cardio in. I am hoping to find time for strength training in here sometime as well.

Monday- 7 Miles on Elliptical (500 Cal), 600 Yard Swim (375), Wii Fit (140 Cal) 1,015
Tuesday- Gym for Biking or Elliptical (600 Cal) Track Workout 2-3 Miles (4-500 Cal)
Wednesday- Gym for Elliptical/Stair Climber (500 Cal) and Swim 800 Yard Swim (500 Cal)
Thursday- Bike 5 Miles, Run 5 Miles
Friday- Long Run 8 Miles
Saturday- (If I am exhausted Friday after school once again I will switch Friday and Saturday) Elliptical and Swim 800 Yards
Sunday- Bike 10 Miles, Elliptical

Have a Great Week!

Posted in Running.

No comments

By amber – January 18, 2011

One Little Word

Every year I chose a word to live and define the year with. This idea was taken from Ali Edwards. I am also taking her year long class to capture my year with this word in scrap form. I thought about a word for awhile and read through many lists, until finally the word conquer came to me and it seemed to fit in my life at the moment. I wondered if this word had to many negative connotations, but I knew to me personally it was going to be a positive word.

Conquer:
con·quer
   /ˈkɒŋkər/ Show Spelled[kong-ker]
–verb (used with object)
1.to acquire by force of arms; win in war: to conquer a foreign land.
2.to overcome by force; subdue: to conquer an enemy.
3.to gain, win, or obtain by effort, personal appeal, etc.: conquer the hearts of his audience.
4.to gain a victory over; surmount; master; overcome: to conquer disease and poverty; to conquer one’s fear.
–verb (used without object)
5.to be victorious; make conquests; gain the victory: Despite their differences, their love will conquer.

I plan to use the definition of the bottom 3 to define my life and goals this year.

—Synonyms
2. vanquish, overpower, overthrow, subjugate.

Related Words for : conquer
curb, inhibit, stamp down, subdue, suppress

My Goals related to Conquering in 2011
1. Conquer my weight. I have about 40 pounds left to get to the goal my doctor set, but seeing as though I never remember being that weight ever, I will probably be just as happy being at a weight close to that.
2. Conquer enough half marathons to be a half fantatic.
3. Conquer a 5k with a time starting with a 30 or below
4. Conquer a sprint triathlon
5. Conquer the Team Ortho Dualthlon without walking the 5k portions
6. Conquer a half marathon in 2:35 or less.
7. Conquer my fear of being to slow or last in races
8. Conquer the clutter monster in my house
9. Conquer holding a garage sale and get ride of excess.
10. Conquer getting down at least 1 jean size!
11. Conquer a consistent weight training regiment.

What did I conquer this weekend? Tune in again soon to find out :-) .

Posted in Personal.

No comments

By amber – January 17, 2011

RR: Sgt. Preston Yukon King New Year’s Day Run 1/1/2011 *PR*

A little after 1 mile, prior to tackling the big Block House Hill

Adam and I love running races and when we were knew we would be in Muskegon for New Year’s we decided to find a race to run. At first we didn’t think we were going to be able to find anything, evidently Michigan isn’t as big of a running state as Minnesota is. Finally one day after doing a lot of googling Adam came across the Sgt. Preston Yukon King Run. This race was over 30 years old and included a 5k and 6 mile run. The 6 mile run was billed as tough since about a mile or so in you hit a long and steep uphill. According to Adam this would be the biggest hill we have ever faced while running. I was worried about doing 6 miles in ice and snow, since this race ran no matter what. I was also worried since all the results from the previous year seemed super speedy.

We decided a few days before the race that the weather seemed like it would melt all of the snow and ice out at that time in Michigan, the temps were also going to heat up to the 50’s! We registered the day before the race and dove into the 6 miler!

I enjoy making race goals, so I have a plan. Here are my goals for this race:

C Goal: Break prior 10K time of 1:16 from Patriot’s Place 10k in July 2010
B Goal: Break 1:12 which would be running less then a 12 minute mile pace, which for me is speedy
A Goal: Break 1:10, which would put me lower then my normal 10k pace.

Race day we woke up to clear roads, but low temps complete with winds. We run from time to time outside in Rochester, so we knew we could handle it if we bundled up. The race was set to start at 11:11 so we had plenty of time to get ready and head to the race start at Muskegon State Park.

Driving the the race start I began to get a little nervous as we drove the route and I saw the hill we would have to tackle. I was also a little worried they would not close the course to traffic and I would be stuck running on the narrow shoulders of the road.

The race started at the Winter Sports Park and there was a warming house we all waited in to keep warm prior to the race. There looked to be a few hundred people there. The 5k started first and the majority of the people took off on that course, which left out the Block House Hill.

The 6 miler took off right at 11:13. I started off strong and felt that I ran the first mile at a good speed that would allow me to maintain a good speed the entire race. I have a habit of starting too quickly. The race started with a short out and back run prior to heading into the loop. I enjoyed the out and back since I was able to see Adam around the turn around. He was surprised to see that I was not far behind him. We ran about a mile before we were facing the hill. I saw many people slow to a walk, but I was determined to run the whole hill. It was early in the race and I knew that my legs were fresh. I ran the entire distance, passing a few people on my way up. The downhill was pretty awesome, but I have never ran such a long downhill and after awhile the pounding took a bit of a toll on my legs. At this point I realized that I was going to not only finish this race, but I was not going to finish last.

The course gave you a peek at the Lake before it sent you onto the roads around the park. There were some gentle rollers, but the course for the most part was flat. At Mile 4 I realized I was about to get passed by another runner. Being at the back of the pack this does not happen very often once I am out of the first mile or so. I could hear this runner since she had jingle bells. I pushed to keep ahead of her, but eventually she passed me. It was frustrating since she was taking walk breaks and still beating me. I had a goal to run the entire thing, so walking was not an option. As the race went further I was thinking I would never catch her and the frustrated me. At 5.75 miles I realized I could still see her and decided to see what kind of kick I had today. My legs were exhausted, but I was hoping I would not fizzle out before the finish. I ran hard and eventually I could see the turn off for the finish line. I passed her as we turned into the driveway. I was running hard and could finally see the clock and that my time would be a PR! I kicked it in some more and finished with a huge smile on my face.

Not only did I run an awesome race and beat someone at the finish, I broke my three goals! I ran 2 minutes faster then my high level goals for the day! I crossed at 1:08:03 with an official time of 1:07:49! I felt pretty awesome! I was excited to see Adam and he was surprised to see me already. I came in 151 out of 154 runners. I was pretty impressed since as noted before this is a speedy race that not many turtles like myself come out for. Most of the rec runners choose to do the 5k. Adam’s parents came out to watch us run and his dad captured a few finish line photos. The one of Adam and I together unfortunately did not turn out great. Adam ran an awesome race as well finishing at 1:01:45! I must be getting faster, since I am only a minute behind Adam per mile at this point.

Posted in Race Reports, Running.

No comments

By amber – January 16, 2011

Year in Review- Amber 2010

How did you ring in the New Year of 2010? playing games with Adam’s family and eating yummy spinach artichoke dip

Did you stick to your resolutions? I don’t even remember what my resolution was ;(

Are you better looking this year than last year? Explain. I am down further in my weight loss journey then last year, but not quite where I want to be, but I will get there! I am wearing smaller sizes then I am in years. I am moments away from being in a smaller size then I was in high school. I will get there this year! I am much more in shape and even look athletic at times. I need to get back to weight lifting to improve things even more.

Describe your “style” in 2009 vs. 2010, using only 2 words: 2009: practical 2010: sporty

How did you spend your birthday in 2010? In Boston with Adam. We enjoyed a day of shopping and cupcake eating. I even tried to new sea foods for my birthday lunch. That night we walked the Freedom Trail and then ate yummy food in the north part of town at an old Italian place.

Did you dress up for Halloween, and, if so, what was your costume? I did! I dressed up as “Alice in Runderland”. I wore my costume for the Team RED run and the Monster Dash Half Marathon.

Did you move? No, no moving until we can afford movers and more importantly packers haha.

Did you meet anyone new? most of the new people I met this year were through Team RED and running

What was your favorite piece of art (this includes music, writing, etc.) that you made? I love many of my scrap pages from this year, there were not many pages, but I feel they were quality.

Did you learn any life lessons/experience any epiphanies? I learned that the mind is a powerful thing and I can achieve anything if I just believe in myself

Describe your best day in 2010: There were so many days that were amazing, I can’t pick just one

Describe a day you’d like to strike from your record: how about those lazy 5ks I ran this summer that I did not push myself through and allowed myself to defeat myself before the run was even over

What was your biggest accomplishment of 2010? Finishing 3 half marathons!

Was there something you did that you never thought you would? I finished all 3 of my half marathons feeling like I ran awesome races and put in the time needed to train properly for them.

TOP 5’s of 2010

Top 5 Obsessions:

1. Running!

2. Races!

3.Shopping

4. Scrapbook supplies

5. Traveling

5 Happiest/most meaningful events of 2010:

1. Spending many important days with my family back home

2. Trips to Boston and Vegas

3. Finishing my first half marathon

4. Time spent running with Adam

5. Ryan, Ellie, and Elizabeth coming to visit for the Monster Dash Half

5 People you hope to hang out with more in 2011:

5. My family
4. Adam
3. Team RED
2. My Ohio and former Ohio peeps
1. Bellywings

5 Places where you’d like to go/hang out more in 2011:

1. Scrap booking Events

2. Races

3. The swimming pool

4. Florida

5. Virginia Beach

5 Words/principles/goals you hope will define your year in 2011:

1. Conquer

2. Believe

3. Inspire

4. Health

5. Laughter

May 2011 be the best year yet!

Posted in Personal, Running.

No comments

By amber – January 1, 2011

Amber’s Running Year in Review

This year I have ran more then ever in my life. At this point in time I am on target to finish with over 600 miles of running! I have a goal to maybe hit 1,000 miles of running this next year, barring injury. It is hard to get quality long miles here in the winter. I have ran 3 half marathons and a zillion 5ks. I joined a running club that I love and look forward to running with each week. I have used races to plan vacations around. I know I owe many race reports, but I wanted to do a recap for my records and your reading pleasure :-) . I am listing below all of my 2010 races and results.

March
Team Ortho Get Lucky 7k- 49.08 *

April
Fools Five 8k 58:11 *
17th- SEMYO 5K 33:02
RTC Spring Classic 15k 1:54:59*

May
Med City Marathon Relay 5:21:12*

June
11- Team Ortho Minneapolis Half Marathon 2:48:52
19- BK5K 32:45

July
4-Harvard Pilgrim 10k (Boston) 1:16:27 *
10-Byron Good Neighbor Days 5k
25- Suburban Adventure 10k 1:19:56

August
28-RTC Rochester Half Marathon 5k 37:10
29-Team Ortho Dualthalon (5k Run, 18 Mile Bike, 5k Run) 2:43:37*

October
17- Night Beat 5k-
18- Warrior Waddle 5k 31:48 *
30-Team Ortho Monster Dash Half Marathon 2:39:18*

November
20- Living History Farms 7 Mile Cross Country Race: 1:56 *
25-Muskegon YMCA Turkey Trot 5k- 34:58

December
5- Great Santa Run 5k (not chipped time and way short course)
6- Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon 2:44:56

Posted in Running.

No comments

By amber – December 23, 2010