100 Miles! and needles

Well, with the plantar fasciitis, I'm a little behind, but I hit my 100 miles last week. Hopefully I can ramp up after this is behind me.

Last Friday, after a particularly intense PT session, my new training regime began. In addition to all the icing, Advil-ing, stretching and heating, we've reduced actual pounding time by 3 days. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, I will cross-train, either by spinning or water running. Sundays I've always jumped on the stationary bike while watching Paul play his soccer game. Today, I started watching a movie but needed to cut my session short by 30 minutes because my rear wasn't quite up to the task yet. On Wednesday, I'm going to try a water running class. I don't like doing these things, but oh my goodness, it makes me appreciate the running days that much more! We are in the middle of a blizzard, but I'm determined to get out there tomorrow morning for some intervals!

In other running news, Revolution Running has merged with Fast Forward, so our group was HUGE on Saturday. This will be interesting, but I'm so happy for Ewen and Heather. I'd like Rev Running to be as successful as possible! As long as I have my awesome coach, the group can get as large as it can manage!

2015: My first year with Rev Running

With 2015 at a close, it's time to look over the year and ponder its lessons. It certainly was an amazing year of running!

In late November of 2014, I joined Revolution Running. I met my new coach, Steve Sellers, and my sub-10 pace group peeps, and we were off!

I joined Kara and Adam Goucher's 2015 in 2015 challenge, knowing I wouldn't make it, but curious to see just how far I could go.

I joined my new running friends at Flatirons Running on Wednesday nights for a 5K fun run followed by beer, pizza, and camaraderie. What used to be a rather tiring Hump Day became a favorite evening and Sam joined me for many of the those runs.

In January of 2014, just a month after running with Rev Run, I PR'd my half marathon time at the tough Prairie Dog Half in Louisville. I knew I had chosen well - this group was working for me!

In February, throughout the brutal 7am dark workouts running "dicey hills," intervals on the track, tempo runs and long Saturday morning runs, I kept consistent. I made many new friends. And I got fitter.


March began the Spring Session, so I was no longer the newbie! The warmth came slowly but oh the sunshine! I needed to wear sunglasses on the early runs now, and our long runs on Saturdays began to really ramp up as everyone dialed it in for Boston and other marathons. I couldn't imagine training through the winter, but I admired my friends. Ted's Bar Mitzvah took over the month and I was glad to have my running to balance my stress. My new running friends took pictures at his rehearsal and others came to his party. My two lives (mom/singer and runner) were beginning to merge. It felt great!

In April, rehearsals for the opera really began to ramp up and I had to actively carve out time for my long runs and nap on the days I didn't get enough sleep. It was a challenging month, but I was getting faster. I was learning to pickup my long runs at the end ... it felt hard, but exciting.

In May I had another breakthrough with my first sub-30 minute 5K at the local Dash 'N Dine series. Sam and I both had PRs at that race and it was then that I realized I was really hooked. Running with a group and with a good coach had officially made me a better runner. I never looked back - I was serious now. I began plotting out the week as soon as it uploaded to Google Calendar and stopped eating as many desserts and wine. I wanted to become the best runner I could be. I knew I had the support I needed!

The annual Bolder Boulder was a treat. I managed to laugh at myself at my time (1:00:02) and was so proud of Sam for his 54 minute BB debut. I had a blast with the running group and found the pleasure in the a group warmup before a major race. Warming up before a race (by a few miles) was new to me.

Summertime was tough to stay consistent with all the travel, but Sam and I managed two runs while traveling. We ran the Galena 4th of July 5K with our cousins (Sam placed 1st in his age group of 16 and under!) and a 5K in DC while visiting Aunt Nancy. It was fun to locate races where we traveled and helped keep us accountable. In general, though, I found summertime challenging. We enjoyed the track series at Potts Field and I ran my fastest mile (7:38). I'm looking forward to crushing that record this summer!

I also did my first overnight run with the group: the Chase the Moon race. What a blast! We had teams and we each ran a 3.5 loop and an 8.5 loop. It was exhausting, terrifying and FUN! It was a really fun way to solidify my identity as a crazy runner. And that's always fun!

I did some course marshaling for local road races and began the slow ramp up for my first real training for Chicago. I'd run it twice before, but this time I had a coach and group and a schedule. I knew I would PR, so I set my goal on a sub 4:30 finish. Runs began to ramp up in August. I had a retreat in Vermont to attend, so I stayed consistent, pushing out a super hilly 18miler before the retreat one day and enjoying shorter runs with my buddies on the other days. A lot of silliness was had in Vermont, but a lot of running too. Good times.

As the runs got longer I experimented with UCANN and Maxim for hydration. Both helped keep me feeling strong and peppy throughout those long slogs. For my longest run, 3 weeks out, I ran 8 miles on the treadmill and then ran the Boulder Backroads Half Marathon. I finished feeling strong and fast and it helped me realize I was ready for Chicago. Some plantar fasciitis began creeping up after that race and I entered the world of the rolling-icing-heating-massaging athlete.

Chicago was a disappointing race for me. My Garmin malfunctioned and told me I was running 8:30 pace, so I kept slowing down. I finished in 4:34:12, a PR but not at all what I had trained to do. I quickly ran another 27-minute 5K on Halloween to convince myself that I still had some life in my legs, and resolved to listen to my coach and run without a watch for a while.

In November I ran the USA Half Marathon Invitational in San Diego, where I PR'd in 2:05:55 (I love sea level). I had no idea what I had run because I didn't use a watch, but I did run with the 2:10 pacer and then picked it up at the end. It was just what I needed and I left the warmth and sunshine of San Diego newly encouraged that I was continuing to improve as a runner.

As the year came to a close, I ran an exciting 26:12 in the Colder Boulder and my first year with Rev Running wrapped up in a fun Xmas party (and a renewed case of plantar fasciitis!) and lots of reflection. 2015 was definitely the year of running for me.

Now, with 2016 on the horizon, I am newly excited. I have lots of races on the calendar for 2016 and lots of PRs to chase with my running buddies. 2016 in 2016 with Adam and Kara is back on the agenda, as is my first attempt at running 2 marathons in a year. Let's see where 2016 takes us!

End of the year musings!

Time has FLOWN by this year! I am amazed that we are into December already. Just this week I have a gig 5 out of 7 nights! It's all good though - having Hanukkah out of the way has cleared the calendar so it's not really so bad.

2013 was indeed the year of awesome. Our trip to China in July was amazing. The NoExcuses Retreat in June was life-changing. Sam and I earned our Black Belts in May and August, respectively. (Ted will test for 3rd Degree in August and Mae will test for 1st Degree in May!) I joined Online Bootcamp in March and am still going strong, doing 30-minute interval or strength-training workouts every day at home! I've also renewed my committment to running and have run 4 races this year with more on the horizon! Next year will be my 2nd Chicago Marathon and I'm hoping to CRUSH my time from last year.

This year I've made a list of some of my goals (rather than a checklist) so it will be fun to see how I do. In a Bootcamp Webinar, our awesome coach pointed out that if you don't write down a goal, it's just a dream. Word.

6th grade for Ted has been a very easy transition. He works hard and efficiently and hasn't had any real difficulties so far. He's working hard in TKD and has recently started CrossFit (crazy - just like him!) He'll run track and play soccer at Summit in the spring, as well as continue preparing for his Bar Mitzvah in March of 2015. Busy boy!

Sam loves 4th grade and has really amped up his reading. The Kindle has changed things for him - as long as the font is large he'll read! (And yes, we had his eyes checked - it's just mental!) Now that he is a Black Belt, we have relaxed the schedule for him and he attends classes when he feels like it. Mostly he loves making movies and playing MineCraft. He is still a sweet, sweet boy.

Mae is rocking 3rd grade. Since it is a combined 2/3, she is enjoying being the older kid and is having lots of success in multiplication and reading. Her writing continues to be about China (so sweet!) and her cursive is better than mine! She is up for Black Belt in May and is working hard towards that goal. She says after she gets her Black Belt she wants to try gymnastics, so we'll give it a go!

Paul is still at bivio and still working at home. Sweet Pea, Patches and I enjoy his company very much! His Friday night soccer team went belly-up, so he's taking a break from that for a while and attending services with us instead. We all like that but hope he can find another team soon.

Here are my goals for 2014!

GOALS

2014

• Run the Bolder Boulder in May
• Beat my previous BB PR (1:00:39) from 2009
• Run the Boulder Backroads Half Marathon
• Beat my previous 1/2 PR (2:17:52) from 2011
• Run the Chicago Marathon in October
• Beat my previous Marathon time (5:26:02)
• Run a 5K in under 30 minutes
• Work out 5-6 days/week
• Continue to eat Paleo and clean
• Continue to prioritize sleep & water

10 Years from Now :: 50 Years Old

• Still run the Chicago Marathon every year plus local races
• Still do BootCamp with the team!
• Still eat clean
• My kids will be in college!!!

Patches!

Patches joined our family last Sunday. It's been in the works for a few weeks now. My singing friend Dawn feeds the stray cats in her area (after catching, neutering and releasing - she's a good cat citizen!) and she felt that Patches would make a good housecat. He'd been outside all day and sleeping on Dawn's bed at night for a few months, but her other cats didn't take well to another cat and were mean to him. 

Dawn offered to take Patches back if ever our sweet Fuffles returns and we agreed to take him in. Little did we realize what we were getting into! Sweet Patches has FIV (like HIV but for felines). His gums are badly infected and he's lost a lot of teeth. He needs more pulled as well. One eye seems either deformed or perhaps tear-duct challenged and his claw are very fragile and pull out easily. Clearly, he is not a healthy guy, but he is so sweet and cuddly, you'd never guess the discomfort he's in. 

We hope that after he has his dental surgery on Monday he will thrive and enjoy his life as an only cat. He and Sweet Pea regard each other curiously but without fear, so I suspect they will be snuggling together as the weather cools. He is a sweetheart. Welcome to the family, Patches! 

Mae's Heritage Trip to China!

After much writing and editing and begging pictures from friends, our trip is finally documented! 

Click here for the link to Mae's Heritage Tour Journal!

Welcome, Summer!

Hooray! Summer is here! The kids' last day of school was Friday the 24th. We went directly to a TKD end-of-year party in the park, then jumped in the pool before bed. It was a terrific ending to the school year!
Our summer plans involve a lot of travel. In June, Ted will travel to Kansas City, Missouri for the TKD District Championships (if he wins 1st place, he will automatically be eligible for World Championships in early July). Whether he competes or not, we will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas for Worlds to cheer on our friends and to compete in the first tournament of the new tournament year.
Mae and I head to China on July 14 for 10 days - cannot WAIT!
As for camps, Mae has a week of Chinese camp at CCAI (our agency), Sam has a week of Art Camp and Ted is doing a TKD camp for a week. The rest of the time, our schedule will follow the routine that got us through last summer - so beautifully, I might add.

• wake up, breakfast, chores
• dog park/soccer field with Daddy
• Summer Work Hour (math, writing, reading, typing (for Ted)
• free time til lunch
• Lunchtime
• Creek walk with SP
• Pool Time! 
• TKD
• home for showers and bed

Hooray for summer! Here are some pics of the crazy last few events of the school year! 

Ted ran the Bolder Boulder with pal Omri.
Paul and I did our best to keep up with them. 

Cast pic after their performance of "Route 66."

We think she's pretty relaxed these days. 

Mae was herself for Immigration Day at school,
complete with Chinese passport and Adoption Decree

Sam was a "German Jewish ancestor from Berlin." Cutie. 

Our chavurah won the Chav-Olympics!
Love the kiddish cup trophy!

5th Grade Transition Ceremony.
Farewell, elementary school!

Incredible, awesome 4/5 teacher Nel. 

Buds.

A dog in a sidecar wearing a seatbelt and aviation goggles.
Gotta love Boulder. 

Spring Updates

It is offically Spring, but, as my photos will mostly attest, it has not yet fully sprung here in Colorado! We have had a wonderful busy month of school plays, TKD testings, operas, surgeries and many other adventures. Here's a peek at the last four weeks of Moeller fun, not necessarily in any order! And here's to Spring ..... please come soon!

Sam is a Black Belt! (First row, second from Left)

Monday night, in spite of the blizzard, he insisted on going to his first Black Belt class.

Buds.

1950's Fellini Don Giovanni with Elvira (in purple). I'm on the far left (aka Waldo).

Minor eye surgery to remove an abcess. Sweet girl was a trooper and is healing beautifully.

Spring hike with SP! (and BF). Our 4th blizzard started the next day.  

Ted (L) and Sam (R) five years ago!

Playing in the snow. Do we live in Alaska? It's April!

Sam asked Ted to tie his black belt at the testing. So sweet!

Please come back, Spring!