I was up bright and early to get some “me” time before the rest of the family was up. I jumped on the treadmill for 1.5 miles to warm-up then did THIS mobility and stability work from witsup I love this website.

My body felt much better after the mobility work.

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After my workout I came upstairs to have breakfast with the fam.

When we have oatmeal I think Cannon wears more of than he eats.

when we were done eating and Emerald had her morning nap we met some friends at an open play at a gymnastics center. Cannon loves the giant trampolines, foam pits, bounce house and running on the tumbling floor with his friends.

For lunch Cannon had Annie’s mac n’ cheese and some purples grapes.

Emerald was just as excited about her yogurt.

Then I put both kiddos down for their naps. Emmy fell right asleep after her morning excitement. I was certain after all of his running, climbing and jumping that Cannon would be plenty tired and ready to nap. But I was wrong, for the second day in a row he skipped his nap completely and was pretty grumpy in the afternoon.

When Emerald woke up I decided it was best to get out of the house so we packed into the stroller and headed for the park. It has been pretty snowy but our front yard had completely melted. The park is exposed so I assumed it would have melted there too. I was wrong (again!) and it was covered in three inches of snow. I did not come prepared with snow gear so we just decided to make it a walk then play at home.

After dinner, play, bath and bedtime for the kids Cory packed up to head to the pool. I am always so impressed that he can exercise after 8pm. I feel like I am done and just holding on past 4pm. Cory has started training for Ironman St. George 70.3, this will be his first triathlon since Ironman Lake Tahoe in 2015!?!

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Do you prefer to workout in the morning, mid-day or evening?

I always like to get my workouts started by 10am.

This year I am really trying to practice what I preach. It’s hard to find the time to do all the things you *should* do along with running. It’s so much harder to warmup, run, stride, stretch, strength train, roll and work on mobility when it’s hard enough to find time to just run! But I know from experience that if I just head out for a run then it can lead to injury and that is no fun. Finding a few minutes to warmup is so important to overall physical health. I found this very quick dynamic warmup from Runner’s World that I can do before heading out the door.

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It was only 17 degrees when I ventured out for my morning run but it was still nice to get out and move before the world was awake. Four miles + some strides on the local trails, I was a little surprised about how deep the snow was still since it has melted off the streets and sidewalks already so my ankles were cold.

I took the kiddos to an indoor playground to play in the morning to meet some friends. Cannon loves playing there ( I love it because it’s walled off and it’s easy to keep an eye on Cannon) it’s super safe with soft climbing structures, a climbing wall and lots of slides but the best part is the very soft padded floor. It’s perfect for little ones and Emmy is really starting to enjoy playing there as well.

It won’t be long before she is walking and this is the perfect place to practice.

After playing we came home for lunch and naps. Unfortunately Cannon decided that a nap was not in the cards for him (I am crying at the thought of him dropping his nap). After Emerald woke up we decided to use our extra time to get Cannon a haircut. I love his hair floppy and long but feel bad when it’s always in his eyes.

Later we took the kiddos out to a new Cidery that opened near us for dinner.

Acreage is very cute with amazing cider and delicious food but small servings for the price so don’t show up too hungry.

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The views are amazing and they have great outdoor space. I can’t wait to go back when we can eat outside. the kids do alright eating out but it’s still a little stressful not knowing if they are going to make it through a meal, Cannon isn’t one to sit quietly and color. Luckily there was lots to see at the cidery.

When we got home it was bath + bedtime. Emmy loves spending this time playing with Humphry. It’s so sweet seeing how much she loves her puppy.

What’s your favorite running warmup?

Something I get asked a lot about running or triathlon is where I find time. I do believe that if something is important to you that you can make time. For me the most consistent time that I can get to exercise is early in the morning. That often means getting out of bed between four and five AM. It’s not always fun but if I want to prioritize my run then it’s best for me to get it done before the day gets started. So here are some things that help me get on the run when it’s super early:

• Set your alarm and don’t hit the snooze button – Just get up and get out of your room as quick as possible.

• COFFEE – Coffee is one of my love languages, I love it, the caffeine is great and it’s my favorite way to start the day. It helps to have a coffee maker that you can program and set up the night before so it’s hot and ready for you when you get up.

• Lay your clothes out the night before. If I have to search around in the dark for my clothes there is an 80% less chance that I will get up and go.
• Decide the night before what workout you are going to do and route you are going to run. I try to limit as many decisions as possible in the morning. As soon as I start trying to decide what I want to do, sleep starts to rise to the top of the list.

• If you are going to run for more than sixty minutes then it’s best to eat something simple, otherwise you can head out fasted if you like.
• Warm up inside! This mainly applies to winter but summertime mornings can also be chilly so a dynamic warmup inside can help get the muscles ready to go.
• Go to bed earlier. This one might seem obvious, but it is often hard. In the evening I am running around doing all of the things I can’t get done while the kids are awake. I also can waste a lot of time on the internet or watching Netflix, that time is much better spent getting some sleep.
• The best motivator is to find a running buddy or group who you meet for your morning run. It’s much easier to get out the door if you know a friend is waiting for you. If you don’t have anyone crazy enough to get out for an early run find a virtual buddy can help too. A text and some digital motivation helps just as much.

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The last few days have been so much fun, Friday brought in a snow storm so we spent some time sledding and building snowmen.

Last year Cannon didn’t love being on the sled but so far he is loving it this year.

Emerald had her serious face on but I think she enjoyed watching all the other kids and building her first snowman.

An exciting update (for us at least) is that Emerald is pulling herself up, cruising and even standing on her own (if only for 3 seconds).

The sweetest exchange between Cannon and Emmy happened while they were playing “fort” under the dining room table. I can’t believe I caught it on video.

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Are you a morning runner? Any tips to share?

Week two of base building is officially in the books! Adding on some base miles and strength training has been the focus this week as well as keeping the run streak going. I just can’t wait to get my milage up and get to a happier total milage per week, but I am trying to build slow. I listened to a couple podcasts this week that have me really leaning towards the Leadville 50. It’s always good to finish what I started in 2017 😉

I am linking up with Wendy and  Kim this week for a Weekly Wrap, go check out all the inspiring runners!

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Monday:  A quick warm-up on the treadmill then lower body and core strength.

Tuesday: 4 miles, with 5 by 20 seconds strides. It always helps my form to throw a little uptempo work in.

Wednesday: Warm up on the treadmill plus upper body strength and core.

Thursday: Three early morning miles focusing on hills.

Friday: Cory had the day off so we took off early for a run as a family. We bundled the kids into our Thule stroller. I am so glad that thing has such a great rain cover. It was raining when we left then it quickly turned to snow while we were out running. The stroller was coated in snow but the kids were warm and comfy inside.

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3 miles to start the day is one of my favorites!

Saturday: We had plans Sunday morning so I knew I should move my “long run” to Saturday. I was thinking somewhere between 12 and 14 miles. There was more snow on the trails than I was anticipating so I cut it to 10 and considered it good training for Moab. I really hope to run longer next weekend on an actual trail to build my confidence.

Sunday: Baby was up early so I got some extra cuddles instead of a run (not complaining). Then we met friends for a hike and some doughnuts (I was so excited to see them and their new baby I forgot to take pictures) Then a few miles on the treadmill to round out the week.

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Total Running Miles: 25 miles and some strength. I am happy with the progress but will be feeling better when my miles are closer to 45-50 per week. Also room for improvement: Cross training. I really miss my morning spin class, I just haven’t found a way to fit everything in yet.

Happy Running Everyone!

Our run started out as rainy and ended with almost an inch of snow. Thanks goodness that our Thule Cougar II has an amazing rain cover that kept the kids dry and for the down blanket we got from Costco for a steal! It was just a quick 3 miles but with the cold, wind and snow it felt like more.

After our run Cory took Humphry to vet for a check in, we have been having some trouble controlling his allergies so the vet wanted to check in on him after two weeks on his new meds. A good report was happy news!

While Cory and Humphry were at the vet, Cannon, Emmy and I played outside in the snow.

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It’s been so long the ground really needed the moisture.

After our snowy run I got to thinking about my first race of the season! I was just sent the athlete guide and it made me realize that my first race of the season is just two weeks away!

In a couple weeks we will head to Moab to run the Arches Ultra half marathon. I was worried about getting out on the trails so early in the season but my miles have been adequate and I plan to just have as much fun as possible on all the slick rock, not worry about my time and take lots of photos.

For a trail half marathon the elevation gain is not too bad at 1,000 ft. I am excited to get back out there on the trails and get back to races.

I am also really looking forward to this trip because our friends are coming with us, they have two little girls who Cannon has the most fun with. This racecation is going to be a great family trip!

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Where is your favorite place to go on racecation?

It’s the time of year where almost all of my runs are completed on the treadmill or in the dark hours of the morning/evening. I already talked about running on the treadmill, but running outside will always be my first love.

I have ran outside in the dark often but in the past I always ran with my husband or a group. Now that we have two little kiddos running together or with a group isn’t often an option.

Now that I am venturing out on my own I have really started to consider my safety while running in the dark. Here are a few of my favorites:

• One of my pieces of gear that makes me feel the most secure is my Run Angel. A Run Angel is a wearable safety alarm that is quite loud. If you set off the alarm then through your phone it will send an alert and your location to your angels (people you set up to get the alert). Wearing the Run Angel makes me feel much safer while out in the early morning hours on my own.
• This might be a given but I always run with my phone on me. I like the idea that I can stay in touch if needed. Also it’s great for run selfies and podcasts.

• Visibility is really important so I like to wear running gear with reflective tape and a reflective vest for extra visibility, I got this one for a really good deal and it doesn’t bother me at all while running.
• A good headlamp is also key. I really love my Petzl it has worked for me for years.
• I use an app called Glympse, it sends my location real time from my phone. I send my location to my husband when I leave for a run. This is great piece of mind for him knowing he can check in on me and be sure I am still moving in the direction I should be. This just gives me extra assurance if something were to happen someone would know about it.
• My favorite one that I currently don’t follow but hope to in the future. Run with a dog! Research shoes that you are much less likely to be attacked if you have a dog with you. I would love to get a breed of dog that can run with me, unfortunately the French Bulldog just isn’t down for morning runs.

It’s not fun thinking about what could happen but taking these precautions helps me enjoy running outside even when it’s dark.

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Happy Friday Everyone!!!

The last couple of days have been packed full of fun with these kiddos. Wednesday morning started early with a quick treadmill warm up then full body strength.

Then we packed up and went to our local library for story time. Cannon loves going and always helps me push Emerald’s stroller.

After lunch and naps we walked down to a park for some fun before Cory got home. It was colder than I was ready for but still worth it.

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Thursday morning was kicked off by 3 miles in the dark followed by stretching and good morning baby snuggles.

We were lucky enough to have a friend over for a playdate this morning. Cannon and his little friend are so cute together. They made a fort behind his chair and she “read” Good Night Moon to him.

Then Emmy had her nine month well check. A friend offered to watch Cannon so he didn’t have to tag along, he had a blast jumping in their indoor bounce house! I was excited to hear that everything looks good and Emmy is hitting all of her milestones nicely. The only shock is that she is so dang tall, still in the 91st percentile.

We grabbed Cannon and ran home for lunch.

I’m not sure if I should be ashamed that I had a frozen meal for lunch but this one from EVOL was so good and it’s nice to have something easy after juggling kids all morning. After naps Cannon seemed a bit frazzled so we decided it would be best to settle in for a movie as a storm rolled in. One of the best things in the world is to snuggle with Cannon, even if I have to bribe him with a movie. Boss Baby for him, snuggles for me, win-win.

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Do you run alone in the dark? Do you have any tips for staying safe?

Do you eat frozen meals, anyone old enough to remember calling them TV dinners? Haha!

Cannon is now 2 and 1/2 years old and I don’t even know where to start on an update for him. He is so fun, silly, sweet and moody, opinionated and his own little man. Cannon has strong ideas of what he wants and is definitely not a pleaser. As his mom that can make some things difficult and I do think that will serve him well later in his life.

Cannon is now 37.8 inches long (88% ) and 31 lbs 0 oz (68%).

EAT

Cannon is still a great eater. He will branch out and try some things although his diet is a very typical for a toddler. He loves pizza, mac n’ cheese, fruit, tomatoes, pouches, etc. There was a long stretch where Cannon would snack a bunch and eat little at meals. Luckily that has turned around and he is eating more at meal times. The most difficult thing about eating for Cannon is having to sit still. Whenever we go to play dates the other kids will eat snacks but Cannon is too busy playing to bother eating no matter how good the snacks are.

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SLEEP

I feel so so grateful that Cannon has always been a great sleeper. He typically sleeps from 7pm to 6am. If he wakes up earlier we leave him in bed unless he is crying or upset. One thing that helps a lot is that he is still in a crib. Most of my friends that have 2+ year olds have moved to beds but everyone says keep them in their cribs as long as possible so we are going with it. He can climb out of his crib but he doesn’t and that makes things so much easier.

The saddest update is that recently Cannon has started skipping his afternoon nap. About once a week he just won’t fall asleep. I cry thinking of him not taking a nap anymore. I was really hoping we would make it until he started school in August but now I don’t see that happening.

GROW

Cannon has grown so much in the last year and a half. Just a year ago he looked so much like a baby and now he looks like a boy.

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There was a teeny tiny worry that Cannon’s language was a bit behind. But his doctor always thought he would catch up by two years old. And of course she was right, his vocabulary exploded and he is right on track.

Now I am just looking forward to just spending as much time as possible with him before he starts school in August (cue all the mom tears).

PLAY

Play is everything to Cannon. Like most toddlers he is on the move all day long. Being outside is the best if you ask Cannon.

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Riding bikes, hiking, running, playing at the playground are all winners.

The biggest change in his life was the addition of his little sister last April. He is the best big brother ever, so gentle and sweet with Emerald.

I was really worried about how Cannon would handle switching from only child to big brother but he has done really well sharing attention and playing with Emmy.

I don’t want to paint an unrealistic picture, truthfully we are starting to deal with some big tantrums, it’s rare but this kid can let me know when he isn’t happy with what we are doing. The easiest way to get him to chill is to give him screen time and he LOVES it so I have to be careful that he doesn’t get too much.

He has grown and changed so much that sometimes I miss little baby Cannon. That said he is so much fun to be around and a helpful little boy.

Past Updates

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months 

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

It was an exciting Tuesday around here…okay not really but it was a good day. It started out early with a run outside!

Just four miles but it was nice to be out even if I did feel cold for the rest of the day. Good news was I actually started to see the sunrise just as I was getting home.

After my run I headed to the optometrist. I have been a little worried about my eyes lately as they have been much more bloodshot than normal. I thought maybe I just needed more sleep or eye drops but they weren’t getting better. I was due for an appointment anyway so I went in to get checked out.

I was so relieved to hear that nothing had changed with my vision and that my eyes looked very healthy. No need for glasses (yet). I asked the doctor about the coloration in my eyes. He put some dye on them and gave me the diagnosis….very dry eyes. It was nice to hear it was nothing wrong with my health and the dryness is common here in Colorado and can be made worse from hormonal changes. So drops three times a day for me until they are better than maybe once a day.

After my appointment we ran some errands including a much needed carwash.

Cannon loved it so much, he kept yelling CAR WASH at me the rest of the day. Emerald didn’t cry and wasn’t upset by the experience so I call that a major win!

One of the kids current favorite things to do is get each other up from naps. Emerald loves hanging out in Cannon’s crib when he wakes up from his nap, he gives her hugs and it’s just the sweetest!

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With winter in full force and little daylight I have been running on the treadmill more often these days.

I am not as prolific a treadmill runner as some but I have put in my fair share of time on the treadmill. I think my longest treadmill run was 18 miles, and I actually didn’t mind it. I used to run on the treadmill much more and didn’t mind it much but lately it has been a bit of a struggle. So I thought about all the ways that I can make treadmill my best friend again.

• Just get on with it. Just a little tough love….but the more I run on the treadmill the less I dread it.
• Get your favorite drink – one of the bonuses is being able to have all your favorite drinks and snacks with you without having to carry them.
• Binge watch – Everyone loves a binge watch, right? I try to find a good show on Netflix or Amazon, then I only let myself watch it while on the treadmill. That way I can’t wait to get running to watch another episode. Right now I am watching Girlfriends Guide to Divorce.
• Change up your pace and incline – this one really helps me not to get stiff and bored. Changing up the pace and playing little speed games makes the miles fly by. Even if you are doing an easy run just changing the pace a little up and down keeps your legs fresh. Also changing the incline up and down (if your treadmill has a decline) just like running outside keeps my joints happy.
• Do workouts – treadmills are GREAT for workouts! it’s nice to be able to dial in the pace and know exactly how far you have gone. No staring at your watch to make sure you are hitting your paces, just set the speed and hold on tight!

What are your best tips for loving the treadmill? Please share!

BIG NEWS from us! Emmy pulled herself up and stood on her own for the first time today!

Okay, I know this is really only big news to Cory, me and my Mom but I had to share, she is growing up SO fast! Also she was properly motivated to stand so she could mess with Cannon’s train table, he looks very worries (as he should).

I got up at 5am to get a run in before the kids woke up. Emmy is getting better and sleeping closer to 6am now (score). I ran a couple miles on the treadmill before doing some lower body and core strength training. Doing shorter runs and leaving time for strength might be the only way it gets done.

I tried really hard to get Cannon to smile at me for this picture but apparently his Cheerios were much more interesting. Emmy went down for her morning nap so Cannon and I played with his Legos.

When Emerald woke up we packed up and drove down to The Bounce Place in Boulder to meet some friends and burn off some energy. It was our first time going to the Bounce Place and I really liked it. It’s an indoor play space that has a bunch of blow up play houses and padded floors. Cannon could run wild and jump all over. It’s so nice this time of year to have places to go to run around and play when it’s not warm enough to be outside.

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Once home we all ate our lunches and then it was nap time.

I have been working hard to get both kids to nap at the same time and today it actually worked, I got an hour and a half to myself and it was amazing. I made many appointments, bought tickets for an upcoming trip and cleaned a little.

After naps it was a quick run to Target to return a toy that wasn’t working and buy 6 more things we didn’t need (always target!) Then it was the dinner, play, bath, PJs, read, snuggle, bed hustle.

I actually cooked tonight! Something simple but I was proud of myself for doing it. I am not the best cook and never really took the time to learn but I have felt really motivated to learn to make good healthy food for my family this year. Baby steps are still steps. This is a good transition point to talk about my January Goals.

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I talked about my word/intention for the year already but I think it’s important to set short term goals as well. Everything in my life that I would consider an accomplishment (masters degree, finishing an Ironman, planning a wedding, etc) has started out as a big impossible dream, then I have just worked it backwards into smaller attainable goals and tasks. So here are some goals for this cold, dark month to keep me moving in the direction I want to go:

• Run everyday in January, I talked about this more here.
• Write 6 days a week – hopefully this one will last for more than just January. You may have noticed that posts have been a lot more frequent here on this ‘lil old blog. One of the best ways to get better at something is consistent practice. So writing most days of the week will hopefully help me improve as well as create a fun way to look back at this time in life. We have such a fun adventurous year planned I want to capture it all.
• Cook dinner at least three days a week – Cory has always been our main cook, he is better at it and enjoys it more. But it’s nice for him to come home from work and get to play with the kids instead of start cooking straight away. Again hopefully practice leads to improvement.

So that’s it, pretty simple. RUN – WRITE – COOK.

Do you love setting goals? Any good ones for January?

It’s the first week of the new year and it really does feel like a fresh start. After taking WAY TOO MANY days off over Christmas from being sick, etc. I took last week to ease my way back in. I have learned from past mistakes not to jump back into training with big miles. I just end up too sore and headed straight for an injury. It’s so tempting to try to “make up” for the miles that have been missed, but it’s not a good idea. I started with just two miles and added about a mile a day until I felt like my running legs were coming back. I can say that after not running for 10 days (YIKES) this process worked well for me AND after my first week back my legs feel pretty good.

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Monday: New Years Eve, no running still.

Tuesday: Was supposed to be our annual New Years Day half but my dad had a bit of a medical emergency so couldn’t watch the kiddos. I could have ran on my own but I was worried that it would be too much after so much time off. Instead I did 2.2 easy miles on the treadmill.

Wednesday: Another early morning run on the treadmill. This one I played little progression speed games to keep myself entertained. After warming up I would increase the speed by .1 each .1 mile until I got to the next mile then I would start over again at a comfortable pace and increase again. For me this makes the miles FLY by.

Thursday: Decided to run outside to get a break from the treadmill. It was cold and the sun didn’t come up until long after I got home so no photos from the run. Also the cold makes my phone die and I hate that. 4.15 miles and almost feeling back to normal.

Friday: I was up late on Thursday so I slept right through my alarm an was busy busy busy with the kids all day. We had so much fun going to a new indoor play place but there wasn’t any time for me to get a run in until after the kids went to bed. After making a grocery list for the week I slogged down to the treadmill, I really didn’t want to but I committed to this streak so I did it, just 1.12 miles.

Saturday: It was a beautiful day and I knew Sunday would be busy so I moved my long run up a day. I didn’t want to jump up too high in miles so just 10 miles around the neighborhood. It didn’t feel great and was slow but it was better than I feared. Onward!

Sunday: Again slept right through my alarm, clearly I need more sleep…snuck in a couple miles and that was it.

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Total Running Miles: 23 miles – Not great but a solid start to my base. I am hoping to take the next few weeks to build my base miles slowly and get used to running more days per week so I can start training for that 50 mile race!

Happy Running Everyone!