Post Baby Workouts!

So in case some of you guys didn't know... I had a baby!! Forrest Quincy Reszler was born at 5:15 pm on February 5th, 2013. He was 10 lbs even and 20 1/4 in long. I gained about 44 lbs, I am still struggling to loose the last 5-ish lbs. It is time to kick my butt back into gear and get in shape... Here we go again!! :) 

Since having Forrest, I have done a few bike rides and short runs but nothing substantial. Today I ran 3 miles with the jogging stroller and I absolutely sucked it up! I decided that today, I stop talking and start doing... 

Not sure what race yet-- I am open to suggestions!  

Happy Running!! :) 

January!

Is January really over??? This just means that I am one month closer to my sunny summer days! Heck, I would settle for a sunny spring day at this point. I am just looking for low 60's but wouldn't mind a  warmer day mixed in there! I am told that here in Wisconsin the "winter" kinda lingers on through MARCH???? NOOOOO!!!! I checked the weather in all my favorite southern cities and I am so jealous as I am still hovering around freezing. This year has been "sooo mild" say the experts but if it's worse next year the world might be short one Timothy... Why did I listen! I am so sick of walking into a smelly gym to run! I am sick of it! Running in one place is silly! I want to explore the outdoors and maybe get into some trail races. Sometimes I think about running outside in the cold. Then I think of me slipping and falling... I would be stranded out in the cold... freezing... left to die. It needs to be at least in the 50's before I try to make it in the real world. 

So how did January turn out? Not too shabby! It was a good start, I completed a fair amount of workouts and I am still going strong. No real issues with the knee and I am no where close to burnt out! Whoop Whoop!!!! This is what my month looked like...

Hope that February is much more full and I remain injury free! I am going to keep tracking my improvement over the next month and by my birthday, I want to be signed up for the WisconsinRev3 this summer. I am excited just thinking about it!!!! Olympic/Standard or Half Iron??? That is the question!! 

Off to swim... This is going to be a good month, I can feel it! 

Happy Swim-Bike-Running! 

Kristal

Two Issues Tuesday!

First is the cold!!! Me + Cold = Not Motivated!  I grew up in Washington state... Yet I still prefer hot weather over cold any day of the week. When Timmy and I moved here (Wisconsin) towards the end of the summer, it was great! Heat wave hot! And now... not so hot! I step outside and instantly just want to turn around and crawl back under some covers on the sofa. I would rather stay inside and read about working out than go out in the cold. A good workout for me is getting all hot and sweaty! This means I can only workout indoors until it is at least 70 degrees out... ok maybe I could do 60-65! Somehow I have still managed to stay somewhat on track with my workouts.

Secondly, the real problem with working out is that I eat, eat and eat some more! I am definitely counter productive here! I eat like three times what I normally eat when I have a good workout. I need to find some filling yet healthy snacks! This is why sometimes athletes can gain weight instead of loosing it! I don't want to be that girl. Maybe with my workout plan I need to have meal plan too.

Well other than me eating an excessive amount of food and it being horribly cold out, life is good!  I rocked out a couple awesome swim workouts last week and a kick-ass bike ride yesterday. Tim helped me move my indoor bike trainer back upstairs. I got to watch TV and bike!  Other than me regretting eating a mini bag of popcorn before the bike ride, it was a successful ride. Although I have been putting in a good amount of effort, I need to step it up! If I know my brother Andy, he is going to be able to kick my butt at all three sports because he is the 110% effort guy! I am hoping to get in a run and a swim today... wish me luck!

-Kristal

Team-Up

I have a few races in mind... the only problem is that I need to be sure I can physically do them before I spend the money signing up for them. I know I will be good to go, maybe just a few more weeks of training before I make it official.

The good news... I am teaming up! I have someone to keep me on track, my big brother Andy is training with me via long distance. We will be trading workouts! Mixin' it up with swimming, running and biking!

Today I ran another 5K and tomorrow we start our training with a 2400 yrd swim workout that I suggested. Followed by a run orchestrated by Andy on Wednesday. I am super pumped! I hope I can hang, he is pretty hard core.

I am adding 500 yrds to my swim workout tomorrow afternoon, so it should be tough! I am also going to squeak in a short bike ride in the morning before class just to get on the bike. I have been seriously neglecting it!

I will let you know how it goes!

Happy Swimming!
-Kristal

Slow and steady wins the race...

I may be slower and I may not be putting the oodles of miles behind me like I used to BUT I am still going out there and getting in done!

It's amazing to me that so many Americans do nothing... nothing active that is.  Yet I am kicking myself right now because I can only run 3 miles at a time, the majority of people can't even WALK 3 miles without taking a break. So I guess I am doing alright.

Last go round I got myself hurt because I thought I was Superwoman! (Although I am as close as you can get to being Superwoman without actually being her) I know now that I am prone to injury and fatigue just like my fellow homo-sapien friends.

My motto for 2012 is "slow and steady wins the race... or at least finishes them"!!!!

2012 Races
I know I need to just bite the bullet and sign up... so please give me that push!
#1- Wisconsin 1/2 Marathon (May 5th)
#2- REV3 Olympic Triathlon (Aug 12)
#3- Twin Cites Marathon (Oct 7)

Concerns, comments, input, feedback, anything... let me hear it all!

Off To A Really Good Start!

Ran 3.44 miles yesterday and swam 1800 yrds today.

Run Workout

The dreaded treadmill... I feel like it's cheating! 

It seems so much easier than running outside.

Swim Workout

3x100

8x75

8x50

8x25

3x100

I am exhausted but it feels awesome! I am so excited to finally get back in the pool. I have no idea how I made it through high school. Working out twice a day seems crazy to me right about now! Running another marathon seems silly too but I know I will get back to that level. I didn't make a new years resolution but I have some goals I would like achieve. First is to run 1,000 miles this year, complete a 1/2 marathon, a full marathon and do my first triathlon! Seems like a lot but I have a whole year!!! 

Slow and steady!

:) Kristal

Lazy Days!

These days I have turned into a lazy bum. I have become the girl who just reads about running. I find myself making excuses not to work out. At first it was the move and starting school. But now its has turned into it's too cold, I need a gym membership, I don't have time, I will start again next week... and so on! The truth of the matter is that I need to suck it up and make time. Enough with the excuses!

Today is a new day!

You have to start somewhere. With my injury track record, slow and steady is going to be the key to my success. I ran 2 miles this afternoon. It was 45 and sunny so I seized the day and hit the road. I know it was short but it was sweet! I hope I can find the motivation and stick with it.

Happy Holidays!

Kristal

A quick jog in the mountains!

What a beautiful run! I made my way back to Washington on Wednesday, despite it being cold and rainy, I am glad to be home. Yesterday it rained and rained and rained, so I opted out of of my run. Today I woke up to cloudy skies and thought another day out. However, to my surprise the clouds broke up and I saw blue... I quickly grabbed my running shoes and headed out! I totally under estimated the hilly terrain. I planned to run an easy 3 miles, 4 if I was feeling froggy. I headed down the hill into Roslyn, I turned around after a mile and started running uphill... I made it 2 miles! It was short but refreshing. 

A view from the top!

I hope to have more beautiful adventures in the next 2 weeks. Maybe I will be able to put a good chunk of miles behind me on my vacation! 

-Happy Running

Kristal

A little bit is better than nothing!

I attempted to run this morning... I made it 4.25 miles. I had to stop just after 2 miles because I was certain that I was going to barf, surprisingly I didn't! It seems like these days I get a little run in when I can but haven't been sticking to the schedule. I think part of my problem this morning was not fueling beforehand. I got up, dressed, drank a glass of OJ, got Tyson and took off running. (p.s. It was the OJ that was coming up during the run!) I was up and running by 7am and didn't even use an alarm! Perhaps I still haven't recovered from the weekend. I know that I can't keep using the blood giving as an excuse but I have plenty of others... On a more positive note, Tyson has became the perfect running buddy. OK, maybe not perfect but he does good. I feel so bad leaving Jack behind but every time I bring him he ends up not running and I either drag him or carry him.

I got a new running outfit from my momma and daddy today!!  I love getting that kind of mail, makes my day! It is super cute. It is a black and white Adidas top and bottom. I think I might break them in tomorrow... (maybe).

Also I would just like to point out that my cousin Jamie and I made the best Easter eggs EVER this year! We would have won some sort of contest if we entered them, I am sure of it! We had a blast this weekend. We sat at the pool (had a little encounter with a thinks she is all that and a bag of chips mexican chick...), saw Mumford & Sons in concert (bitchin'), shot guns in the desert (found a wild cactus!), made super cool Easter eggs (pictured below!), went to an Easter brunch with some local friends (played board games and hung out), hiked hole in the rock (Jamie found a huge snake) and got a tan in the mean time!! WHOOP WHOOP

Are these not the coolest Easter eggs you have ever seen???  

Well the school semester is almost over... and summer is here! I am so ready for this break from school! OH SHNAPS.... I have to finish Jessica's quilt! :) Hope you have a good week! I will be out camping at the lake this weekend, hopefully I can get a good run in!

-Happy Running

PAT'S RUN RECAP!

What an emotional run! From the playing of the national anthem to the 42 yard line finish. I loved being around so many military supporters. I am glad I got the chance to run this at least once before I left AZ.

THE RACE (GOOD, BAD, UGLY, & THE SO-SO)

THE GOOD: My exit plan to beat traffic and jet home (I had plans to go to the zoo later)! It worked perfectly and I was outta there quick! Actually I finished the race before some people even started... 

THE BAD: It was already hot by 7am... What the heck! To top it off, I was wearing the "HONOR 42" black t-shirt. I was dripping with sweat by the time I finished. Some of the streets got super narrow for the amount of people passing through, it kinda sucked! 

THE UGLY: I was about to go all "RED-HEAD" on the people that started in the fast waves but couldn't even run a mile.  They set up the waves by expected finish time... I was in wave 4 out of 28 (I was supposed to be in 3 but it was too packed).  As people were dropping out they were just walking in the middle of the road, all in my way! 

THE SO-SO: I guess my time was good considering the crowds and my lack of good runs in the past couple of weeks but I still wish it was a little bit faster. My official time for the 4.2 mile run was 31:47.

Total Finishers: 22,440

My Overall Place: 1,191

Total Female Finishers: 11,528

My Female Place: 154

I finished, raced back back to the house and got ready for the Phoenix ZOO!!  By the time we got to the zoo it was really hot, I put on sunblock 3 times yesterday (only got a little sunburned). 

GIVEAWAY

Want the inside scoop of awesome blog giveaways??? Ok, I will tell you! So here is the deal... check out 5 Miles Past Empty's blog (HERE) for a chance to win a free Allied Medal Display! They are bomb! If you don't know what they are you can check them out on Facebook (HERE) or their website (HERE). 

Now I better get back to quilting... I have been slacking and Jessica graduates in like 2 1/2 weeks!! YIKES I better kick it up a gear!

Happy Running!!

   -Kristal

The Oyster Race Recap!

Saturday April 9th, the Phoenix Oyster Urban Adventure! The Oyster race was 20-30 miles of running and biking with a twist! It was more or less a scavenger hunt, you are given clues to find your next destination! It was super fun minus the rain... and a few other things... (Interested in doing an Osyter Race? Check it out HERE! They have a bunch of other locations!)

Really Phoenix.... REALLY! I live in the "Valley Of The Sun", the place you can almost always count on a nice sunny day! Oh but not yesterday! The day went a little something like this...

3:30am: Wake-up because the rain is soooo loud...

5:30am: Wake-up to get ready for the race. (Still raining!)

6:00am: Friends arrive at the house, we pack up, load up, and head downtown. (Still raining!)

6:45am: Arrive downtown to set up our transition area. (Still raining!)

6:45-8:00am: Wait in the pouring rain for the race to start! 

8:00am: The race begins, I am separated from my group on a bus. 

8:15-9:00am: Meet back up with my team and run around crazy trying to find two sculptures, we had no idea where they were! (Still raining!)

9:00-10:45am: Ride our bikes 14 miles to the Phoenix Zoo and back. While at the zoo we had to find animals and do a math problem. (Still raining) This leg of the trip was a fiasco to say the least. We were all soaking wet and miserable already. To make things worse, one of our bikes broke and Tim had to take it back to the transition ares to fix it. On our way back from the zoo, some gangster in a Hyundai reaches under his seat and threatens to shoot us because we were riding our bikes in the road. (I was scared for my life... in the rain!)

10:45-11:15am: We had a two part challenge. First we had to run to the Civic Space Park and do the slip and slide challenge in the rain... as if we weren't wet enough! Next we had to run and find the farmers market to collect vegetables that spelled out CHIPOLTE. 

11:15-12:00pm: Challenge 4 was to find a local news paper with the Oyster add in it to find our next destination which was The Duce. Only a few hang ups on this one... First was a flat tire! When we did finally find the local paper, someone had ripped all the Oyster adds out of them and hid the rest in another bin.... RUDE! After we figured out it was The Duce, we headed that way. Once there Amber and I had to identify 10 of the 15 movie clips playing while Neil did a boxing challenge and Tim made fun of him.  The only good thing was that it had finally stopped raining! 

12:00-12:45pm: Another two-part challenge. Using dead presidents birthdays we had to found out our next two locations. On foot we had to trek a few city bocks to find a bowling alley were we had to bowl a strike. Then we ran to the next location (Golds Gym) where I had to "spin" while my teammates identified 10 song clips playing. 

12:45-1:10pm: Finally we got our last Challenge of the day. Using the clues from all the challenge cards we found we had to make our way to Coach & Willies Bar on bike to play beer pong. (I made it on my second throw!) Finally we were done and we headed to the finish line!

I am not sure exactly what time we finished but it was close to that.... We ate our free Chipolte burrito and headed home. We were all cold, wet and tired! 

It was a good race minus the rain, gangsters, broken bikes, and flat tires! Will I do an adventure race again?? Absolutely!!! 

Happy Running!!

   -Kristal

Smile... LIFE IS GRAND!

Big changes are in my future... as some of you already know; I didn't get accepted into ASU's nursing program. I thought I would be more upset by this than I am. It sucks to "fail" at anything but life goes on! I might not have gotten into the program at ASU but I certainly have not counted myself out. ASU’s program is really tough to get into; a lot of smart young people get turned down every semester. So what now? Tim and I are planning on moving up “north” and I will find a new school. A new adventure is on the rise! I am excited!

On an even brighter note, I finally had a run I can smile about! This morning I knocked out a 6 mile run. It wasn’t super speedy but it was good. I started struggling between mile 3-4 but I forged on! I ran the whole 6 miles, no stopping, it was amazing! It was the first time since I gave blood that I really felt like I was being productive with my run! I am looking forward to a strong April running month!   

4.2.11 Run Route and Stats

Total Miles- 6:13

Total Time- 51:17

Average Mile- 8:22

Mile1- 8:27

Mile 2- 8:14

Mile 3- 8:16

Mile 4- 8:14

Mile 5- 8:18

Mile 6- 8:22

Cool Down- 0.13 (10:42 pace)

My run was followed by an amazing recovery drink! It's bomb diggity bomb!

Now for some serious quilting so Jessica has a graduation gift to open! I am so jealous proud of Jessica for finishing school and becoming a real adult! Maybe I will be a real adult someday too, with a degree and everything!!!   

Happy Running

   -Kristal 

Four Mile Fun Run

Today I decided to hit the road early for my run. I brought the dogs along! It was awesome! We ran kinda slow and made frequent stops to hydrate but it was a super fun run! We chased birds and huge rabbits! We barked at the other dogs locked up behind fences and old ladies walking by! Our adventure this morning was the change of pace I have been looking for. I had fun running for the first time in awhile!

(This picture was taking a couple months ago but it is just too cute not to share!)

Tyson loves BIRDS! 

Happy Running!!
   -Kristal

Remember that one time...

WHEN I COULD RUN!!!!!

My mojo is still missing and it sucks! I totally can't even run 5 miles without feeling like I am gonna pass out! Yesterday's horrific run was pathetic at best. I made it 2.5 miles and had to stop for a second. I was seeing stars and could see the color draining from me. As I felt a numbing sensation melt over my face and down my neck, I looked down at my arms and literally saw them turning white. I was thinking of calling Tim to come and pick me up but the feeling passed and I took off running again. I wanted to quit the run many times after that but I settled for slowing down. I set out for 5 miles and that is what I did!!!! I will take slow at this point, as long as I am finishing. I am confident that with time I will build back up my endurance and be a rockstar runner again!

Yesterday Run
Total Miles: 5
Average Pace: 8:47
Fastest Mile: 8:15
Slowest Mile: 9:07
Cool Down: 2 minutes... 0.17/11:22

Mark another 5 miles down for my quest for 1,000 miles this year!

Happy Running!!
   - Kristal

Headaches SUCK!

I would really like for these frequent headaches I have been dealing with to go away!!! Running with a headache was a horrible idea... With every step I took came an intense throbbing sensation. At one point I thought my eyes were gonna pop out! I finished my run but it wasn't pretty and I felt like pooo. 

I am still struggling with short runs. My legs are heavy and I just can't seem to move them. Biking seems to be a little bit easier but I haven't done any super long rides in awhile. I made a super awesome running plan to follow to build my miles back up. I will just stick with it and I am sure I will improve!

The idea of a gym membership is still hanging over my head. I really want to start swimming but the pool on base isn't open and won't open until the summer time. I really wanted a gym with an outdoor lap pool. I found a really nice facility but I just am not down with paying someone to workout! I already pay enough to run/compete in races! I could always hit up the YMCA, they are considerably less expensive but no outdoor pool. Oh what to do! 

Well this post is lame... I will work harder to write up something you guys actually want to read. I only wrote this one because Jessica was asking what was up with this whole blog thing!!  :) Good things to come!

-Kristal

I think my mojo is in a bag somewhere....

KRISTAL LOST HER MOJO!... and it was in the form of whole blood!

I donated blood on Tuesday. I just can't seem to move my legs! They felt like a ton of bricks today. It was awful. My run on Wednesday was horrible too, I only made it 3.85 miles and had to take a break because I got dizzy. At least today I made it 5 miles, actually I ran 4.5 and jogged the last 0.5 of the run.

Although our blood volume is back to normal within 48 hrs, our balance of nutrients within our blood is jacked up for bit longer! So I guess that donating blood reduces performance for three to four weeks because it takes that long for the blood hemoglobin levels to return to normal. (Hemoglobin is the metalloprotein that carries oxygen for our red blood cells) What was I thinking?! But if it helps save a life, than I will take the hit on my workouts for the next couple of weeks with a smile!

When was the last time you donated????

Happy Runnung ~ Kristal

It's been awhile!

My last post was 2 weeks ago, crazy I tell ya! A lot has been going on lately...

First was my Birthday on March 7th... Turning 27 was totally awesome! I got a new pair of shoes, a new running outfit and an indoor bike training from Timmy. To top off my big day, I ran 4 miles and I didn't even fall over! It was a good day.

(My new trainer... WAIT A MINUTE! Why is Tim's bike on it... I thought it was for me!)

(New kicks and running outfit!)

My Birthday was soon overshadowed by 3 exams on March 10th. I totally rocked out my first one but finished at par with the last two. This semester is rather boring and is proving to be hard to stay focused. All the classes I am taking this semester are for my minor... Can I please just start my nursing clinical's? I should be finding out if I got into the program here at ASU by the end of the month. Wish me Luck!

The madness continues with a trip to Vegas. It was nice to meet up with friends and family. For the first time in Vegas we saw a show, V- The Ultimate Variety Show. It was sooooo much fun. It had everything from juggling to magic, with a lot of comedy in between! 

(1/2 the gang at Margaritaville!)

At last... spring break! I am in need of some resting but haven't really gotten any yet. I need to finish up my essays for school and have been doing a lot of spring cleaning. Plus today I decided to run 1,000 miles this year... (Check out my new tab!) I don't really know what I am thinking but just go with it! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Happy Running!

   ~Kristal

A rough week...

Week Recap (February 27th - March 5th) *** Notice the week isn't over yet!***

Sunday- Crash on Bike Ride!
Monday- Trip Over Dog During a Run!
Tuesday- Afraid to go Outside!
Wednesday- Successful 4 Mile Run!
Thursday- Crash on Bike Ride!
Friday- Thinking of repeating Tuesday....
Saturday- Thinking of repeating Tuesday.... 

My Birthday is on Monday the 7th... Maybe someone (I don't want to mention names but it was probably Jessica, everything is her fault!) thought I should finish up year 26 with a bang! Literally all banged up... is this what people mean by that? I have been rather lucky thus far. I've only gotten minor injuries from these tiny yet irritating disasters. However, I am afraid to get in a pool to start my swim training. The only misfortune I can think of is drowning..... NOT GOOD! But as you can see my left knee is healing up nicely with just a tint of blue under the skin and a small scab. Surprisingly that little scab is super sensitive though! I am sure I will attempt a workout tomorrow... I will do so with extreme caution! 

Wish me luck on my endeavors... I need all the help I can get! Anyone want to COME along and witness my clumsiness???? 

With my head always full of ingenious ideas, I think I love this one the most! I want a workout suit made of bubble wrap, made specially for me! I don't think that would be a bad investment right about now.

:) Happy Running, Swimming & Biking!  :)

                   ~Kristal~

TWO for TWO...

As if crashing on my bike next to a busy road wasn't enough! 

Today I set out on an easy 4 mile run... I figured it would be great to bring Tyson (My dog!) with because it was gonna be short and slow! Well, he got spooked by some enormous 5th grader and ran under my feet. I tumbled into the road! I have lovely road rash on my right shoulder... my right hip... my right butt cheek... and both hands! Not to mention a double bruised pride! This time in front of a bunch of kids! I defiantly didn't look cool...

I am afraid to workout outside now. What will be next? My knee from yesterday has now turned a lovely back'n'blue color. I guess it just isn't my month! I don't even want to drive to school tomorrow. With an ATV crash a couple weeks ago and my bike and running crash this week I think I have had enough beatings for this year! I hope so anyways!

Maybe I need to name my running shoes too!

February Recap!
ATV Dunes Adventure- 1 / Kristal- 0
30 Mile Bike Ride -1 / Kristal- 0
3.5 Mile Run-1 / Kristal- 0

No worries... I will get 'em next month!

-Kristal 

And down she goes!

Saturday was icky out but Sunday afternoon the weather cleared up! Tim and I grabbed our bikes and headed north to get on a bike trail. It was our first adventure to the urban bike trail and it was AWESOME! The trail had bi-passes that went under every road. (No stopping for traffic!) We followed the trail along the canal for about 15 miles and then turned around to head back to the truck. For a grand total of 30 miles!

Oh but that isn't the whole story... I crashed about 25 miles into our ride! Well, I really just fell over at a slow rate of speed. It's actually hard to explain but I will do my best! We were riding along the trail and missed the bi-pass under the road. We headed up this hill to cross at the road. I was following behind Tim, a little too close! He stopped at the street... However I didn't see him stop because I was looking down to un-clip a foot. When I looked up, there he was! I swerved sharply to the same side I had just un-clipped. I had no room to put my foot down so I let go of my handle bar and braced myself for the fall. It was like super slow motion but I survived.

The inside of my knee, totally weird placement considering I fell on my side, got a little raspberry on it.  My wrist took most of the impact so it is a little stiff but otherwise I am GOOD TO GO! I think my pride was hurt the most... not only was Tim laughing at me but so were the people driving by! (Thankfully Tim didn't think of pulling out his iPhone for a photo shoot like 5 Miles Past Empty's friends!)

I crashed a few times as a kid on my bike and once on my mountain bike as an "adult", but this was my first crash with my new fancy road bike! I am still breaking it in... Well maybe it is safe to say it is nice and broken in now! 

I think it is time for a NAME!!!!!! 

Got any good ideas? Help a sister out!

Kristal