Things I've Learned With 3 Days Left ...

With 3 days left in this running challenge... I want to share things I have learned...

• You can run when you have the flu -- It might not be pretty, or fast or even a little bit enjoyable but it can be done. And it may have saved me from actually throwing up.
• You can actually run every day for over 30 days ... and you won't die. You will be sore, have fatigued muscles, be tired and such but you won't die.
• Your body can run more miles than you ever thought possible. And although it is difficult, running more miles than last week is possible.
• You become more and more creative with your time the busier that life gets.
• You figure out that running on your lunch break is not ideal but is possible.
• You learn how to run in 0 degree temperatures, it isn't fun but it is possible and although you feel like the Michelin man it isn't all bad.
• When you run in fresh snow it is possible for snow balls to build in the tow of your shoes. That actually isn't that enjoyable either.
• People have a hard time learning how to shovel their sidewalk.
• When fatigue does set in, you must pay attention to changes in the road, otherwise there is a very real possibility of tripping.
• Running with friends tends to be more enjoyable than running alone.
• You will dread everyday because of having to fit a run in, but then after the run is finished you feel that much closer to your goal.
• This challenge has taken up far more time than I ever imagined.
• Rest days are very much enjoyed -- I promise to enjoy more of them from now on. 

There are probably a million more little things I have learned, and I know that I have complained about what I signed up for almost every day but the bottom line is I'm probably stronger than I was. I'm still in shape (to run) and my jeans fit a little better than they did before. So far I don't have any negative outcomes which means it must have all be worth it. There is even a small possibility that I will do it again next year...remember I did say small...

Now if I can just get through these next 3 days.

Running Challenge Update!

So the challenge was/is to run at least 1 mile everyday between Christmas and New Years. When you sign up for stuff like this you don't ever think about the day to day troubles that one will have trying to fit a run in. Some of the day to day situations have been ... how much laundry that one produces running in 0 degree temps, how tired one becomes from running every day, how annoying run tracking apps can be. When you sign up for things like this you think about how happy you will be when you are done, how strong you will be etc. Probably that's the glamour that makes us all want to sign up.

I can't tell you how much this is driving me crazy. I haven't actually counted how many days I have run yet, or how many days I have to go. I actually don't even care too much about the distance or how fast/slow I'm running. The girls at the club are telling me I should end it at the 5k race on January 1st. Right now the thought of running a race kinda makes me want to throw up. It is so hard to find the time and the clothes and even the motivation, for the first mile, then usually it isn't so bad. But it is Christmas time and there is so many things to do (my kids remind me on a daily basis what I haven't done). I won't lie, I'm not feeling very supported in this endeavour either. It isn't like people are telling me that they will take care of stuff so I have an extra 20 minutes. And would 20 minutes even be enough time because once you get started 5 miles maybe doesn't sound that bad. So basically we will say I hit rock bottom, I was so tired on a run early one morning (like maybe 5 am) that I guess I forgot to pick up my feet and fell. Lucky for me I learned (slowly) how to put my hands out but still got my knee. It was that point right there that I wanted to sit on the sidewalk and cry and forget the whole stupid challenge. But I picked myself up and ran home. Which was when I think my run tracker app on my phone was a little (a lot) off on the mileage. That was probably the least of my worries but combined with the rest of the run it did add to the irritation. It was then that I received a text from a friend that said we are on the downhill side, we can do this. Then the weather forecast says a balmy week in with lows not going below 25 for the week ... maybe I can do this. The ice is slowly melting off the sidewalks, and yes my knee is sore and yes I'm still tired but I'm also stronger, both mentally and physically. And I'm on the downhill side of this. When I started a guy that had done this before said "...when you run every day you don't have time for your muscles to get sore. You don't have a sore this or that." Well he is right, just extreme amounts of tight quads and calves. That tends to loosen up.

This has almost had the same mental game that happens during a race. You start off really great and then about 1/2 way through you think to yourself how dumb this all is and you will never do it again but then the last few miles come along and it all seems manageable again. Then about 2 hours after the finish you start to figure out the 'next' thing. So I'm assuming once you play this game for awhile that the game gets easier? Maybe more manageable? Maybe it doesn't... I don't know.

A girl at the running club last week said she felt so lazy, she didn't run for 4 days in a row. I looked at the one friend doing this challenge with me and we both said we couldn't wait to have 4 days off in a row. I wonder if I'll think the same after this is over. Or if I'll even be able to go 4 days without running.

Annual Krapes Christmas Letter...

Here we are in December yet again and my cards went out today with no letter in, again. I actually like posting it online. I guess I don't care that much that creepy people can read about us. I don't have that exciting of a life. We had a great year, my kids are growing up, heck before I know it they will be leaving and Lou and I will be on our own...Not sure I can handle that right now.

 

 

We were blessed to be able to take a number of vacations this year. I'm so grateful that my mom and dad like us well enough to invite us along on their excursions. We went to Cabo, Mexico in January. We had a great time with the short plane flight, with the beach, swimming in the ocean, and exploring downtown. We had a few weekends in Beaver Creek, which my kids love to do, we went to Las Vegas with the dance company so Brooke could compete at Nationals and then we had an excursion to Arizona for Thanksgiving. I think it is safe to say that my kids have been more places in their short lives so far than I have. I think that means spoiled, but I could be wrong.

 

 

My little man...Tyler has been a giant inspiration to all of us. He is so fun and happy (90% of the time). He is in second grade and in his words he is "still waiting for the teachers to trick him." Although I'm happy he is a confident I'm a little sad that he has yet to be 'tricked.' Tyler has been blessed with having a teacher that is up on the technology curve and he has the luxury of having his own mini I-pad to learn on for the school year. He has been very excited about that. Tyler is still playing soccer. In the spring it was still small, 3 vs 3, but in the fall it changed to a bigger field with a goalie and more players. Lou also took over coaching in the fall which turned out to be a bit of a learning curve for both of them. This winter he will continue with indoor soccer. In the summer Tyler ran track, which he loved (although he would deny it today). The track coaches really like his ethics and he had fun at practice. No meets for him though. In his words he would have to get up too early to go. The other really exciting thing for Tyler! This summer is was finally comfortable to swim in the whole neighborhood pool. By the end of the summer he was jumping off the high dive (AKA the lifeguard stand) into the deep water. For anyone that knows us very well we all know what a big deal this is. Finally Tyler started playing the piano in February. He is a natural. He performed his first recital in April (Old McDonald) but since then has made great progress. I'm so proud that he has found a few hobbies that he keeps busy with. When Tyler isn't busy with his own soccer, school and piano he is busy with the sport of the season. Right now is pretty busy with football (Peyton Manning), hockey and basketball. The funny fact about all of this is that he knows so many random facts about teams that I couldn't possibly begin to remember.

 

Brooke is in 5th grade this year. She is also privileged with an amazing teacher who is also up on the technology curve. She is lucky to also get I-Pads in her classroom. So three classroom's in the whole school have the devices and my kids are both in the classes. We couldn't be more fortunate. She again is motivated to challenge herself in all subjects. I'm happy to see that. Brooke is such a perfectionist that it sure can be frustrating when things don't go quite as perfect as she would have hoped. Brooke is still playing the piano. She is doing well despite the fact that she doesn't have a ton of time to practice. Lucky for us we have a great teacher that is patient. Brooke is still dancing an amazing amount. This past year was her first year of competitions. She had three different dances that she competed for most of the season and she wasn't in love with any of them. Her group did well enough to make it to the national competition so off we went to Las Vegas. Let me be the first to say that taking 10 year old to Vegas was not mom of the year material. Hopefully we don't have to go back to Vegas with children for awhile. This dance season Brooke has learned a solo, and 4 other dances. She seems to like these dances a lot more so hopefully there will be more positive behavior out of the situation. Brooke also had the opportunity to work with some choreographers from Chicago and Florida, she has done workshops with many big names in the dance industry. I'm not sure she even understands the amazing opportunities she has had. My little Brooke is growing to be such an amazing young lady. I'm just hoping the pre-teen attitude passes us by.

 

 

It is so much easier to talk about my kids, or really anyone else. I am still working at Four To Go. As a business we are doing well. I have had help making an e-commerce site for the business and although it is still a work in progress it is starting to do great things. In the process of that I was working a lot and my attitude was reflecting that I wasn't doing what I wanted. I've been leading the running club. It has been fun to be associated with such a great group of ladies. We went to Palisade again to run the race through the vineyards near Grand Junction, and although I didn't have a great race I had fun during the trip. I've started racing 10k's also. I'm not super excited about my times yet, but like everything else in life its a work in progress. I still try to help out in the kids classroom every few weeks and I've done my fair share of re-learning to help the kids with their homework. Recently, as I'm sure you have read on my blog I have taken up a running challenge where you run at least a mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years. You can read all about my adventures with that challenge on previous posts. 15 days into it though, I'm glad I started and will be even happier when it is over. It is a whole lot harder than I thought it would be.

 

My dear Lou, works... alot. There is no other way to say it, so the nights that he is home we take full advantage of having him around. Like I also mentioned he is coaching Tyler's soccer team. He is good for the boys and he is having a great time with them. Lou also has been volunteered / nominated to be Vice President of the PTA at the kids school. As if the guy didn't already have enough to do. I try to help out when I can, but I also have to be careful not to step on anyone's toes. Lou has been very supportive of all the crazy running ideas I come up with, he is always the first to help out when someone needs it. For example, the dance company was moving studio locations. Midnight, one night, he was on his way home and saw them working. Instead of driving by he stopped to help and ended helping for 3-4 hours and ended up with only a few hours sleep. Sometimes his go getter attitude kills me, but other times I'm happy he is as motivated as I am.

 

 

Again, thank you for reading my yearly re-cap. I try not to sugar coat it and make it seem like everything in our life is perfect, believe me, some days are super difficult to get through. In the end we are happy, healthy and living a very full life.

 

 

 

We wish everyone the best! A very exciting and happy New Year, a Very Merry Christmas filled with friends, family and lots of fun.  

 

 

 

 



Running and Plank Challenge

One of my great friends and gym partner went to New Zealand for a month. I'm so jealous in some respects. But I'm also sad that my buddy that motivates me is gone for the month of December and I have to find some other motivation to get up silly early to go to the gym. I thought I would do this insanity workout that my neighbor gave me...and maybe I still will but before Thanksgiving I saw a challenge from Runner's World to run at least a mile every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I signed up...Certainly I can do that...it won't be bad... Then a few days later I was reading how good planking is for you so I thought I would do the 30 plank challenge to go with the running challenge. Well now a mere 8 days into it...I can tell you How. Hard. It. Is.

Silly me...on the plank it only started at 20 seconds and then your done. Well when I plank I hold it for a minute anyway so no way am I starting at 20 seconds. I'll start at a minute. Then Lou gave me a great idea, I could put weight on my back to make it harder. All great ideas until you get to day number 6 and add 40 seconds to the time the sheet says. That really sucks, then actually planking for that long sucks more. I'm glad I haven't made the effort to dig the weights out of the basement yet. So far so good. I'm only complaining now so you see how rough it has been for me.

For Thanksgiving we went to Arizona. I'm pretty sure that no one told me how fabulous it is to run there. The elevation is only like 1,250 feet so you can actually breathe and it is flat. Like really flat. Some guys that worked for the hotel took me out on the first day and showed me some routes. I was super happy about that. And it was fun to hear from locals on different vegetation and things to do in town. My times we so good, I couldn't believe it. Day number 2, I head out on my own...of course I made a turn that I didn't know where I would end up so I went longer than I had planned. Which only means that the heat got to me a little but nothing I couldn't handle. Day 3 was good also. It was number 4 when I had to have the first come to Jesus meeting with myself. We drove home that day and after sitting in a car for 12-13 hours the last things I wanted to do was go run. I kept telling myself how it was only a mile, no big deal. So I went...9:30 at night and jumping and every sound because I haven't run at night in forever. Did I mention Brooke had a timer on me and said she was going to come looking for me if the timer went off? Oops. Lesson learned, never let your 10 year old dictate how long you can be gone. Day 5 (an unexpected 8 miles with the club) and 6 were ok...but then came the cold and the snow and more meetings with myself. You have come this far. It is 5 degrees outside and snowing and yes people don't shovel their sidewalks and probably there is ice underneath but you have come this far. And running the in cold isn't that bad. So out I went with 4 layers of shirts and 2 pairs of pants and 2 pairs of gloves. And honestly aside from the ice that hung from my eye lashes and the frozen facial skin, and the snow balls that ended up by my toes I had an amazing run, all alone in the cold.

This running challenge has forced me to do things I usually wouldn't, it has made me accountable, and I'm grateful that I found it. And changing up my routine from the gym can only help me and make me stronger. I have been a bit tired from running every day so the gym has been skipped but I'm positive that I will be ready to go back next week or perhaps even try the insanity workouts in the morning.

I must admit that with work things, with Christmas things, with kids activities and Dance activities finding time to run has been another part of that challenge. Again, it comes down to when you want something bad enough you just figure it out. You don't care about all of the excuses, because believe me, I have had plenty. You just figure out how to get it all done. My kids and Lou think I'm crazy but it's ok...I'm used it.