Our Non-Magical Visit to Disney World

Disney World. The happiest place on Earth? Meh. Not quite. We did have some magical moments, for sure. This post isn't a total rant. Joyful rides, children giggling, magical music, scrumptious food, and memories in which we'd photograph and look back on fondly. Those were all of the things in which I imagined Disney World. Instead, we experienced more waiting than fun, meltdowns, (thankfully not from mine) rude staff, inefficiencies, sub par food, and a few memories I'd like to forget.

We took our eldest kiddo; which was really a vacation in and of itself. Parents of multiples: you know what I mean. Clark is nearly four years old, and this was his first trip to Disney, so the hidden blessing is that he didn't know all the things that we just didn't get to. He doesn't know who Cinderella is, so we told him we were going to see Mickey's castle.

During our 2.5 hour trip down to Orlando, John and I discussed how we were going in with open minds and to see Disney through Clark's eyes. Having both been as children, (even though I don't remember going...sorry, Mom and Dad!) and knowing a lot had changed over the years, we did all of the research we could find. I even put an SOS on Facebook asking you all to spam me your ideas, tips/tricks, etc. The information was highly useful. I felt prepared. Oh boy, :::in a Mickey voice::: was I wrong!

There was not enough Xanax in the world to prepare me for the inefficiencies of Magic Kingdom. I expected and mentally prepared for the lines. I did. And, in all fairness, we rode more rides than I thought we would get to that day. BUT, and it's a big BUT...so big, I cannot lie; the where-do-I-go factor was high that day. We arrived to the entrance of Magic Kingdom around 9:15 am around park opening. After waiting in line just to pay for parking (it's freaking $25, but whatever) for nearly an hour, and then another 30 minutes of being directed into a parking spot, (I was losing my mind at this point) and then walking to the park (another 30 minutes), we arrived to the ticketing booths. I literally said a prayer thanking God for Clark's patience and for the beautiful weather. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts!

I noticed there were a lot of folks; not a problem. I was prepared for this. Lines beyond lines. What I didn't know is what line, if any, I needed to get into. I had the tickets prepared on my My Disney Experience app in which Disney experts told me to download. Were we good to get onto the Monorail? There are no signs! WHERE DO WE GO? I asked a cast member who guessed (wrongly) to go into a particular line. When I arrived at the line, the other cast member asked me for my email confirmation. I told her that I had the app, and that my tickets were on the app. MY FRIENDS TOLD ME TO USE THE APP FOR EVERYTHING. The Xanax was wearing off. After a massive search in my emails, sifting through weeks of mostly junk and some emails from my grandma, I found the barcode that the annoyed cast member asked for to only hear her say "You're in the wrong line. You need to go into this line." How anyone knows what line they're supposed to be in is still beyond me.

Spoiler alert: we make it out of the ticketing line. Dottie was pleasant, but very slow. She did make sure Clark received a "My First Visit" pin. Cute. We waited in line, of course, to get onto the Monorail. While the boys waited, I visited the bathrooms. After searching through EIGHT stalls, I found one that was decent enough to hover over. Also, there are no paper towels. Off to a great start. Just as an update, we're not in the actual park yet AND it is approximately 12 pm.

Finally, we arrive into Magic Kingdom. I loved seeing his cute little face when he spotted the giant castle in the middle of the park. He gasped. He asked if there were chairs inside. "Um, what? Yeah, I guess." was my answer. He also asked if Mickey has a penis. If anyone wants to answer this, be our guest; be our guest. Still, it was cute. He happily posed for a picture. The Mickey he's holding is one we brought from home. One of the best pieces of advice we received from our Disney expert friends was to bring your own toys. We did not buy any souvenirs because a Mickey from Amazon is approximately $20 cheaper than a Mickey from Disney World. He doesn't know the difference and everyone is happy.

A few rides, lines, lunch, (brought from home because #DisneyisexpensiveAF) and an ice cream cone later, it was nearly 4 pm. We learned how to navigate through the park using our Fast Passes and map like true tourists. We learned that some folks pretend that they don't speak English and use their children to skip in line; the magic carpet ride is really the same as the Dumbo ride; everyone REALLY wants to ride the Seven Dwarfs ride; (a 180 minute wait most of the day) the rides in which they tell you to just get on rather than assign you are super cutthroat; (choose a teacup and commit!) John and I are even competitive when it comes to shooting Zorgs; and, that it really is a small world after all.

It is now approximately 5:30 pm.

All of the "good" restaurants for dinner had been booked for (I'm assuming) weeks. Good is really a loose term. It's park food. Let's call it what it is. We landed in a spot in Liberty Square. I felt the urge for all of us to wash our hands. I asked a cast member where the bathroom was located. She flailed her hand and said "that way." Ugh. I couldn't find it. So, I asked another visitor and was pointed in the right direction and with a much happier tone. This was a bathroom trip in which I was happy to take along my toddler because I broke the #3 rule as a woman when using the restroom. Always check for toilet paper before sitting down. Clark willingly climbed under the stall to grab me some tp out of the stall that we previously deemed as disgusting, and climbed back under our stall. Also, no soap. No paper towels. Ew. Anyway, we ate. We rested. We decided we'd close the park down to get our money's-worth.

It is approximately 6:15 pm. T-minus 1 hour and 45 minutes to closing.

More waiting. More lines. As you're waiting in line, you have plenty of time to think about the events of the day.

Things like:
Limit your water intake to avoid the gross and insufficient bathrooms.
Clark geeking out over meeting Buzz was hilarious and adorable.
Not being able to meet Mickey was a bummer, (100 minute wait) but he doesn't know we can actually do that. Ssshh. Don't tell him.
John and I marveling once again about how one kid is a picnic.
Why the book If Disney Ran Your Hospital is successful?
When would any cast member comment on Clark's first visit pin that so many Disney expert friends told me would be remarked upon.
Why does this feel and look like a dirty carnival? Trash everywhere.
And, really...why aren't these 15 year olds who work here filling up all of the spots on this ride? And before you wonder, no, these rides weren't broken. We've been waiting in this line extra long because these teens are...I don't know...lazy? ignorant? poorly trained? OMG, why?! Part of my actual job is to find more efficient ways to do things. So, I stopped myself from rocking in a corner shivering. If you don't know me personally, you probably think I'm exaggerating. However, my friends, family, and co-workers are probably laughing and thinking, "Yup. That sounds about right." It took everything in me not to start redirecting visitors onto the rides to make for a more efficient process.

It is approximately 7:45 pm.

We were all pretty exhausted at this point. We decided to skip the fireworks and watch them from the Monorail. I thought the end of my anxiety was over. The Xanax was definitely long-gone. Maneuvering through crowds of people was my worst nightmare. Picture this: I am 4'11''-several inches shorter than the average person. My viewpoint is (excuse the term, but it's an Allison staple) #titsandpits. I see it all; I smell it all. I'm hoping to make it through the crowd with my three year old without either of us being trampled. A mad dash out of the park with only a few whips of hair in my face and a few strollers cutting me off. Breathe! We made it.

It is approximately 8:05 pm.

Clark is basically asleep before we even leave the parking lot. Ah, success. We're all tired. Again, more waiting. The 2.5 hour ride back home left us wondering when and if we'd ever go back.

I was hoping the trip would be so magical that we'd fall into the Disney World hole of whimsy, buy annual passes, and place little mouse ear decals on our cars. We may have missed all of the magic that others experience at Disney. The most magical part of it all was spending some quality time with my boy. And, honestly, any place where Clark is happy is the happiest place on Earth.

My Kell Pregnancy

This post was hard to write. I'm not one to recall specific details during a difficult period in my life. In fact, I pretty much bury those hard moments deep down. Like, way deep. I'm more of a planner and future-looker. And this post is all about the most difficult period in my life. The good news is that this story/post has a happy ending.

A fair warning, you will get a bit of a health lesson within this particular post, but stick with me.

I peed on a stick and before I could even bring the test up to my face, I saw those two pretty blue lines. Pregnant! And like...really pregnant, apparently. Overjoyed and little nervous, I let John know. "Already?" he asked. John and I feel blessed with our ability to get pregnant easily. We're lucky in that sense. Walk down the same hallway...boom, pregnant. Use the same cup on accident...boom, pregnant.

What is unfortunate is that I had some serious difficulties while pregnant.

I've actually been pregnant three times. My first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage at 11 weeks back in 2014. The confusion, guilt, and sadness was overwhelming. You think it will never happen to you; and then it does. I mourned. I prayed. John and I did these things together. And separately. I was angry. I wondered why God would bring me so much joy and then take it all away. I was going to be a great parent. I could provide financial stability, love, and family trips. I realize that a lot of people experience miscarriage, unfortunately. It's like you're part of a club in which nobody wants to be a member. It sucked. I still think about this baby who I never met.

We were thrilled to be pregnant again three months later with Clark who was born in March 2015. Other than Clark being 9 freaking pounds, and 9 freaking ounces and all of the stretch marks on my body to prove it, this was a healthy and fairly uncomplicated pregnancy.

The idea of baby #2 had been lingering in the back of our minds for about a year before we finally decided to go for it. John and I were sitting in an airport together. I sat there with a beer in front of me that I was unable to drink because the smell was horrendous. "This is the last beer I'll be having for a while." I told John. Boom, pregnant. With all of the excitement with being pregnant, so did the fear. What if something goes wrong again? However, nothing could have prepared me for what would happen during this pregnancy. NOTHING.

At our 8 week appointment, I was just looking and listening for a little heartbeat. Which, by the way, if you've ever been expecting, then you know that the whoosh-whoosh sound of the heartbeat is hands-down the best sound in the world! And there it was. Flickering and making that beautiful whoosh-whoosh sound. A wave of relief fell over the room. Everything looked great. So, some routine blood work to test for stuff. Just stuff. Like, whatever. You know they need to count some type of hormone and figure out your blood type and all that jazz. It's routine. That "routine blood work" was the beginning of the Sloan roller coaster pregnancy.

My doctor called me and asked if I had a moment to chat. That's never a good sign. You never want to hear a doctor say that to you. Um, I usually just get my results in the online portal, but ok...? The doctor had a shake in her voice and said, "We received your blood work and it appears you have an antibody called Kell."

"Who?" I asked. She continued to tell me that even she didn't know a lot about this antibody, but she'd done some research prior to calling me. "There isn't a whole lot of information available, so I'm going to do my best to answer your questions."

I kept thinking "What?! Didn't you go to school for years and years and pay a crap-ton of money to know what all of this is? I had all of the questions. Unfortunately, she didn't have all of the answers. My question of "will this kill my baby?" couldn't even be answered.

Before I could even call John to tell him...um, literally couldn't even think of a sentence to tell John what was happening anyway, I was given a call from a nurse at Regional Obstetrics Center (ROC) here in Jacksonville. This is the place all pregnant ladies have to go when they are having some sort of issue and modern medicine and fancy doctors need to intervene. Fancy doc place. They wanted to see me the very next day.

Here's where part of your science lesson comes in and brief explanation of Kell. My body had come in contact with a foreign antigen. In my case, it was likely from my pregnancy with Clark because our blood crossed. To fight against this foreign antigen, my body created this antibody (Kell). This has no effect on me. If I had not had another baby, I wouldn't have even known this. Unfortunately, this antibody fights the baby's (a foreign object) red blood cells, causing anemia. And, anemia can be fatal.

There's your crash course in science. Now, here comes your chemistry lesson. Remember in the 8th grade when you were taught how to create a punnet square to determine the probability of eye color? If one parent has brown eyes and the other parent has blue eyes, what are the chances that their offspring will have blue eyes? We essentially needed to find out the probability of my now gestational 9 week old fetus would be affected by Kell determined by the father. I obviously did not have Kell (since I created the antibody to fight it off) but we knew that John, as my baby daddy, did.

Oh, I need to mention that only about 9% of the entire Caucasian population is Kell positive. And I married one of them. And a side note: it's theorized that Henry VIII may have also been Kell positive because of his hardships in producing healthy children. I'm now convinced that John's family is related to the royal family. But, I digress.

I'll spare you the nightmare it was trying to get several different labs to determine if John was KK (100% baby is affected) Kk (50/50 chance baby is affected). As it turns out, John was Kk, so there was a chance that my baby was in the clear, however my titer level (the amount of antibodies that were in my blood) was 1:68. Anything that is over 1:8 is considered critical. Cool...8 times even more critical. Oy.

You've had your science and chemistry lessons, and now I'd like to touch on religious philosophies. Stick with me. John and I went from over-the-moon stoked to have another baby to scared shitless (there's no other words to describe this). We were trying our best to understand, research, and ask as many questions as we could. I prayed to God that we would find some sort of peace in all of this craziness. And then my prayers were answered. The second time I walked into the fancy doc place I read the doctor's name that was plastered onto the wall all fancy-like. Dr. Joann Acuna. Wait, I know her. This fancy doctor was also a member of the gym where I coached. We'd known each other for a couple of years. I knew her form during burpees (it's perfect, by the way). I knew she was a doctor, but I didn't know she was a fancy doctor! And now she was my fancy doctor. And you're about to find out just how fancy she is.

Ready for an anatomy lesson? At 16 weeks pregnant, I found myself having to go to fancy doc place every week for the rest of my pregnancy. My car automatically drove there. At these weekly appointments, the fancy ultrasound tech would search for Sloan's middle cerebral artery (MCA) located at the top of the head. Thank goodness for modern medicine, as this scan was the best way to determine anemia. And when I say modern medicine, I really mean it. This measurement for anemia has only been used since about the mid-90's (so, like yesterday). So, find the MCA, determine the peak systolic velocity (PSV) of blood to determine the multiples of median (MoM). How? I'm not really sure. It's so fancy. Fancy techs, fancy doctors, fancy letters. It's all confusing. If you're still reading and thinking, what the heck? Then, do this for about 9 months, and you'll be in my mindset at the time. Any MoM above 1.5 would result in the need for an intrauterine blood transfusion (IUT). Yes, more letters. I'll get to that part eventually.

I would hold my breath at every scan searching for numbers. I got so good at knowing when the baby was in a good position or when the fancy tech was able to get a good reading. I knew how to calculate the PSV to determine the MoM. Every appointment had my blood pressure through the roof. I was diligent about keeping notes about Sloan's MoMs.

We felt like we were in the clear for a long time. And then, the MoMs started getting higher. Concerns about more invasive treatments were becoming more prevalent. Around 32 weeks gestation, the fancy tech found that Sloan had an effusion around her heart-which was another sign of fetal anemia. My own heart sank. An IUT was necessary. The thing we tried to avoid. The real fancy thing.

This is a procedure when a donor's blood is inserted into the baby's umbilical cord. A fancy procedure summed up in one sentence. While Joann was cool as a cucumber, I was freaking out. My blood pressure dropping to 60/40 was a good indication that "freaking out" was a huge understatement. A chat with Joann explaining what was about to go down, a chat with a NICU doctor in case of an unexpected early delivery, (oh boy, blood pressure dropping) an epidural, (so not fun) a wheel down to the OR later, and I found myself surrounded by a team of nurses and doctors. One of whom was about to stick needles into my belly and into my baby. I couldn't feel anything and I'm pretty sure they gave me some happy juice, but the moment sticks out in my mind like it was yesterday.

At 32 weeks pregnant, babies can be wiggly. So, a paralytic (yeah, you read that right) is given to baby to make them be still. Blood is drawn from the baby to determine the beginning hematocrit (percentage of red blood cells). Sloan's was 23 when it should be around 40-45. After the donor blood is injected, they read the hematocrit again. After a couple of rounds, she ended up at 42.8.

After the first IUT.

 If I thought this baby was wiggly before, I was thrilled with feeling Sloan give me a few good swift kicks to my ribcage. Joy and sadness. My poor baby was so sick and anemic that she wasn't able to even wiggle around like a normal baby should until she received her transfusion.

I was promptly put on bed rest. Netflix and donuts were my BFFs. It gave me plenty of time to reflect (freak out) about the next few weeks of uncertainty.

The good thing about transfusions is that it saves your baby's life. The bad thing about transfusions is that when you receive one, you'll likely need more. That fresh blood only stays fresh for so long. A week later, Sloan was due for one more IUT before an early delivery. Her beginning hematocrit was 33 and she ended at 49.

Another round of bed rest (Netflix and donuts) and I was scheduled for a c-section at 36 weeks pregnant. Sloan Elizabeth was born on January 8th, 2018 looking pink, healthy, screaming, and weighing in at 6.5 lbs. We'd been told that it was likely that we would only see her for a brief moment before she'd be whisked away to the NICU. By the grace of God, Sloan never had to go into the NICU. Her bilirubin levels were very high after birth, so she spent a lot of time under the bili lights to treat her jaundice for several days. I can't even remember her bili levels since I was under some pain medication and also...a few days post-partum, so I was a little nutso.

Over the next few weeks, Sloan was super lethargic as the Kell antibodies naturally died off in her little body. Around 12 weeks old, we finally felt like we were seeing the real Sloan. Sweet, curious, happy Sloan.

For as long as I'm alive I will always remember and be thankful for the people who helped us save Sloan. All of the sweet folks at the fancy doc place, but especially Dr. Joann Acuna. She was the face of comfort when I was terrified; the educator when I had a dozen questions; the hug I needed for the reassurance that she knew what she was doing; the steady hands when she was calmly doing her job.

Sloan's visit with Dr. Acuna

We were a little more excited than her. 

I'm also thankful for the people I connected with online. Since there is not a lot information on Kell, I was fortunate enough to find Bethany Weathersby's blog Losing Lucy And Finding Hope. Sadly, her first Kell baby-Lucy did not survive. Her blog posts are deeply personal, yet informative. She's made it her mission to educate anyone she can about the numbers, doctors, and resources you need in dealing with isoimmunization/antibody pregnancies. I had no clue Kell existed, let alone so many other antibodies until my pregnancy with Sloan. Being a part of our small, yet mighty, Facebook group made me feel like I wasn't alone. We all expressed our frustrations, questions, happy stories, and sad stories. We were all in this together.

Sloan is a healthy one year old little girl today. I thank God she chose me to be her mommy. I don't know why God gave that hardship to me because I feel like I barely got through it. Writing this post was the first time I looked back at all of the circumstances that led us to this point. It was hard looking back. I would write, then cry, close my laptop, cry, pray, look at old pictures, cry, write some more, and smile remembering the moment the pediatrician told me that Sloan was going to be fine.

I don't know what God has planned for baby girl's life as she grows up, but whatever it is, it's going to be huge.

Training For A Run

Happy 2019!

The Gate River Run is on March 9, 2019. We have EIGHT weeks to train and I'm stoked!

If you're curious about a training program, the proper way to fuel up, or about the race in general, then this is your go-to post. In an attempt to make all the training more adventurous, I made this 8 week training schedule themed! The sorority girl in me just couldn't help herself.

The backstory: I LOVE this race. Live bands every few miles, a beautiful view of the city and St. Johns River, hundreds of people cheering you on and holding signs, some people offer water, and some people offer champagne. You'll never drive over the Hart Bridge and look at it the same ever again. They call it the green monster for a reason. As a participant or spectator, this event is by far my favorite thing that Jacksonville has to offer. Plus, it's the largest 15k in the entire country.

I have been participating in the Gate River Run in Jax for the past few years. I did take off a couple of years because of the two times I was very post-baby (Jan '18 and March '15). However, I've gotta let y'all know that I am competitive, but realistic. If you've ever worked out with me before, you know I definitely have a competitive streak in me, but I'm also very realistic on when to scale back, when to rest, but also when to go balls to the wall.

Training for a running race takes some practice, encouragement, and most of all-A PLAN. This plan is based on my past race experiences and my own fitness education from the past few years.

Supplies I use:
Beats by Dre-Powerbeats Wireless. As much as I love group fitness, when it comes to running, I prefer to do so quietly. I'm that jerk. I love running with others, but I need to be in my own headspace listening to some gangster rap. Yep. You read that right. The more gangster the better.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus. I'm a Nike gal. I know some people who swear by Brooks, Asics, etc. Everybody's feet and preferences are different. Getting fitted for a proper running shoe is step one to beginning a running plan. A running shoe is a game-changer for your feet. I also like to get a new pair every 400-450 miles. Like tires on your car, your shoes will wear down. And, who doesn't like a pair of brand spanking new kicks? You can also donate your used shoes! I've used Soles4Souls-a non-profit that provides shoes to those in need around the entire world!

Under Armour Sports Bra. Listen, I've had and breastfed two children. The last thing I need to worry about while running is taming the sisters. I like this one for a no-bounce run and it wicks away sweat.

Her Body Glide. Especially when I am running in shorts, this is a must for my inner thighs because even if I lived off of carrots for a year, I will never have a thigh gap. And because of this brilliant stick, I will never have chaffing. I also like to glide some where my arms rub against the side of my body. I know some people who put some between their toes. Anywhere you might have chaffing, this will be a godsend.

My Apple watch/Nike Run Club app
I track my activity on both of these. A quick glance at my watch to look at my heart rate, distance, time, speed, etc. And the Nike Run Club app is my go-to because you can track your progress, mileage on your shoes, track a friend's progress, help you reach a goal, and get coached through a run, etc.

Places I'll go:
Live Free Health And Fitness: on strength days and some active recovery days. These workouts are about 50-60 minutes with a variety of workouts-kickboxing, strength training, PiYo, (Pilates/Yoga combo) and Insanity (full body cardio).

Fit Body Bootcamp: on days when I need a quick 30 minute HIIT workout, this is my jam. In and out, and you still get in your exercise.

Believe it or not, you NEED these days. Want to get faster? Get in a HIIT workout. Want to run longer distance? Do a strength training workout. Want to get more endurance? Go to a HIIT workout. Want to improve your strides? Take a yoga or Pilates class. These days at the gym are imperative when training for a run.

You'll notice that every week, I ask that you complete an active recovery and/or stretching exercise. This simply means move your body. For me that will include a PiYo class (I teach at Live Free on Wednesdays at 4:30! You can join me!). You can also go for an easy bike ride, a walk, or simply stretch for about 30 minutes. We don't rest. We recover!

Week 1: Let's Get Started
This first week is all about learning how to run. What worked for you and what didn't? Especially if you're new to running, take notes about your runs. For real! Write it down or type notes into your running app. Do your feet hurt? Do you need to adjust your pace? Did you get enough food before your run? Adjust as necessary.

Activity: Run 3x this week at 2, 3, 3 mile intervals. If you have to walk, then walk. Just get in your miles. Strength train 1-2 days this week, plus one day of stretching and/or active recovery.


Week 2: Run With Friends
At least one run this week, grab a buddy. You'll hold each other accountable. You'll encourage each other. Then, go grab a taco afterwards. Ok, the last part is optional, but if you've never run with others, you'll need this come race day when you're running with approximately 16,000 people! I plan on running with my dad. We always run the Gate together! I plan on running with my gym gals. I plan on running with my bestie (something we haven't done since we were in high school!).

Activity: Run 4x this week at 2, 3, 3, 4 mile intervals. Put some mileage on those kicks! Fit it in. Strength train 1 day this week, plus one day of stretching and/or active recovery.

Week 3: Run In A New Place
This is the week where people can get stagnant in their training. Not you! This week, find a new spot to run. It'll motivate you to want to keep going! I'm thinking the beach might be my new place!

Activity: Run 3x this week at 3, 3, 4 mile intervals. Strength train 1 day this week, 1 day of another kind of cardio (I'll be doing Monday kickboxing at Live Free) and one day of stretching and/or active recovery.

Week 4: Fastest Mile
You've got some mileage under your belt. Now's the time to see how much you can push it. This week, try to run your fastest mile during each run. Get in about a half a mile so your muscles are completely warm, then go for it.

Activity: Run 3x this week at 3, 3, 5 mile intervals. Strength train 1 day this week, plus 1 day of another type of cardio (I will be doing Friday Insanity at Live Free) and 1 day of stretching and/or active recovery.

Week 5: Dog Run
An exercised dog is a happy dog. Grab your pooch (if you don't have one, please borrow mine! He needs SO MUCH  exercise) and hit the pavement. If your pooch isn't used to running, then take him/her for a mile or so to start off. I run Finn for no more than 4 miles. If I plan on going for a longer run, I use an easy jog as a warm-up with Finn. He gets some exercise and I get a warm up.

Activity: Run 3x this week at 4, 4, 6 mile intervals. Add in 1-2 strength days; plus, 1 day of active recovery and/or exercise.

Week 6: Run With Purpose
This may be a challenge, but I really encourage you to run to a destination! Where are you going on a running day? For me, I will be dropping my kids off at daycare and then running home! I looked up the mileage from the daycare to find that it's a perfect 5 mile distance. Go meet a friend for coffee-run there and have your friend drive you back...I mean, he/she is your friend, right? One day this week, run with a purpose.

Activity: Run 3x this week at 4, 5, 7 mile intervals. Add in 2 strength days plus 1 day of active recovery and/or exercise.

Week 7: Self-Improvement Runs
Now that you're putting in some more serious mileage and will be on longer runs, I think it's the perfect opportunity to self-improve with podcasts to pass the time.These are some of my favorites: RISE by Rachel Hollis (you can learn more about the badassery of Rachel Hollis here. And Behind The Brilliance by Lisa Nicole Bell. I appreciate a boss babe who does all the things-including the mistakes she's made. She's really inspiring. Find her awesomeness here. Tell me in the comments some of your favorites!

Activity: Run 3x this week at 5, 6, 7 mile intervals, 1 day of strength training, and 1 day of active recovery and/or stretching.

Week 8: Focus-Race Day Practice
This is race day week! This is the week to take it easy on your running and really focus on race day. Eat a meal exactly the way you will eat before race day. Know your meal/fuel plan, your attire, prepare for the weather, and reassure yourself that you're going to pass that finish line.

Activity: Run 3x this week at 2 and 4 mile intervals plus your 15k for race day! Shoot for 1 day of strength training. Your last run should be 2 days before race day.

Some other tips:
Drink plenty of water the day before, during and after your race. Eat some healthy complex carbohydrates the evening before your race. Think brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, etc.

On race day, eat 2-3 hours prior to your run. I always eat 3 eggs, toast with butter, and a banana. Easy on the fruit there, tooty pants. I wouldn't go crazier than a banana or an apple. A slow GI release is what you're after so that you have plenty of fuel (aka food) to run on. And don't forget to drink plenty of water.

Plan for a bowel movement prior to running. #prayforpoop

Be aware of your surroundings. There are lots of people here. Lots of people will go from running to walking in split second. I can't count how many times I've seen others trip or run into people. But also, Jacksonville is beautiful. Look around you! Take in the moment!

Try to fit in a 5k race during your training. Especially if you've never run in a race before, a 5k is a perfect preparation for your big day. You'll get the flow of people, traffic, parking, meals, and the overall feeling of competing in a race.

If you're in the Jax area, these are great options:
January 26th in St. Augustine, FL Matanzas 5000 
February 2nd in Jax Beach, FL Chariots of Fur 5k (Finn and I ran this in 2016!)
March 2nd in Downtown-Jacksonville, FL Donna 5k

As the new year is just beginning, and you've set up new fitness goals, or any goal for that matter, to make it work or to make it a reality, then you have to work for it.

PLAN.

COMMIT.

DO IT!

As always, any situation can be related to an episode of Friends. 🤣

But in all seriousness, I hear Rachel Hollis say this all of the time. "Hope is not a strategy." And she's right.

So, whether your goal or resolution was to be able to run one mile, read 10 books, lose weight, be more present, then you've gotta have a plan. This one is mine. I hope you join me or watch my plan come to life. I'm coming for you green monster!

Outfit details: top: Fabletics leggings: Lululemon Align Crop