Sad to say goodbye to 2012!

2012 was a fantastic year! I did my year in review here, so I'll look to the future for this post!

My goals for 2013 will, sort of, be a continuation of those from the end of 2013:

Personal Goals for 2013 -

1. Stop saying "no" so much to hubby. (Lol, all of the wife's out there know what I mean.)

2. Purchase my CPT kit to certify by Summer 2013

3. Continue our 15 hours a week (at least) commitment for hubby/wife QT

4. Pay off the rest of our debt

5. Read my bible, continue to, daily

6. Do random acts of kindness spontaneously

Fitness Goals for 2013 -

1. Continue my 6 in 6 months goal through April

2. Start crossfit to increase strength

3. Ride my bike more

4. Run with hubs as he rehabs his ankle, sign him up for a race

5. Train for & safely run my first full Marathon

6. Make yoga my friend again and do it regularly

Things I'm looking forward to in 2013 -

1. 2 Disney Races!

2. Runcations: Austin and Myrtle Beach so far

3. FitBloggin 2013 in Portland in June

4. Celebrating our first wedding anniversary in May

5. Doing my first Full Mary, hopefully, at MCM!

Bring it on!

Deuces 2012!

As I'm sad to see 2012 go, we'll ring in 2013 at a friend's 80's-themed New Year's Eve Party!

While we were out shopping one night I happened to find the perfect outfit for $12! The only scary part was that this dress was out on a 'regular' rack, in a 'regular' store ... and not a thrift store. Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.

How will you ring in 2013? What goals have you set for yourself?

Don't doubt yourself before you try either! Aim high! ;)

Weekly Workouts Roundup: last week of 2012!

This was our last week of workouts before the New Year! AND The countdown begins to Half Marathon #3!

I'm pretty gosh darn excited to head to Orlando next month and enjoy some time away with hubs, expo craziness, and my 3rd Half marathon race at the Disney World Marathon weekend! This week felt like I'd gotten some speed back and my breathing is evening out - I'd like to hear I'm over 80% lung capacity at my appointment tomorrow, we'll see! All I care about is running and running happy!

Feel free to grab a button and LINKUP any time this week with your Roundup!

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Week of 12/24



I can't believe how many miles I've traveled this year with running!
Total (not including tomorrow) miles for 2012: 1,600
To boot, we've been eating cleaner since Christmas, that's for sure! I have so much more energy when I eat better! 2013 is going to kick off with way more veggies and fruits!


  How have you spent your last weekend of 2012?

Yesterday, post run, was spent enjoying our new Christmas present, which was hard to leave once it was time to squeeze in some chores!



In comparison with yesterday's hot and humid weather, today was super chilly and in the 40s! Super chilly to Floridians ;) Nothing like puppy kisses from Kris' pup to end a recovery run this morning neither!

Today we're off to do some family photos with my brother...Jaeden needs a quick pedicure beforehand so I'll be chattin' with you guys later - can't wait to show you the photos once they're done!

Hydration has my back! My Camelbak review

Living in Florida is so unpredictable when it comes to weather and how to plan for runs. This week the weather man said we were expecting to have a pretty chilly weekend due to another cold front coming through the East coast. Solid. I love the words "pretty chilly."

This morning I clicked refresh on my little weather doohickey to see what I should be wearing - my little weather doohickey said "63 degrees"... No more "pretty chilly."

I put aside the arm warmers and was soon out the door to meet Kris for our 12 miles together in hilly Fishhawk (she did 10.5 after me, her last long run before Disney, God bless her.) Fishhawk is an area where my running group runs hills as most of our town is flat as a pancake. The joy of doing hills overwhelms me!

I was eager to try out one of my new Christmas gifts: my Camelbak Hydrobak hydration pack.

For me, when it's cold outside, hydration isn't terribly challenging. When it's humid and hot here it's super important to water up! I tried a handheld water bottle but it only held 12 oz. which was gone before I could blink. (On long runs, unless I know where water stops are every few miles, I can get just a tad nervous so I've liked carrying extra - why wait for water when I can carry it?) This bad boy Camelbak holds 50 oz.!

We headed out at 5:30 and were on our way to get the job done! About 2 hours later, with water left in my Camelbak, I was a happy camper to be finished.

I loved my new water buddy! I didn't feel it on my back, even though I thought it might take some getting used to. I'll use Camelbak's description for the pack so I don't butcher the actual technology ;)

Antidote reservoir features: Quick-seal cap, lightweight fillport, low-profile design, patented Big Bite™ Valve, HydroGuard™ technology, PureFlow™ tube, easy-to-clean wide-mouth opening.

Oh, and the breathing wasn't awesome but it also wasn't horribly bad today either ;)

Winner, winner!

Check here for some extra hydration info and tidbits!

Do you carry water with you to stay hydrated? On runs or in general?

My back is going to be so happy!

Wow I can't believe today is already Day 28 (#Move) of our #HOLIDAYADAY photo challenge! Have you jumped in yet? It's not too late!

As I prepare for allergy testing on Monday, I was told to not take any antihistamines for a week prior. Today is day 5 - it's going to be a long 3 more days! I miss my Claritin ... and Allegra... and Zyrtec. Sometimes I sit there with a sideways face on as I attempt to not sneeze, and still sneeze anyway. To those who see me in person before Monday, "My bad."

One big Christmas present hubs and I wanted to get each other this year was a new bed! It was about time we got with the program and looked into the wonderful world of MEMORY FOAM!

Being the frugal gal that I am, I was a bit skeptical about buying a memory foam bed solely due to cost. However, after much consultation with many valuable resources I realized that my posture and joints deserved to have lovely nights of sleep! AND whenever hubs decided to get up at all hours of the night to raid the pantry- I mean, IF he were to get up at all hours of the night to raid the pantry - I could sleep soundly, not feeling a thing! Plus my LMT said that my poor back is always out of wack since I sleep like a weirdo on my stomach with my head turned. I've tried to sleep on my back, it's not happening.

After looking and looking online, we decided to venture out this week to try some of our favorite models in person. Between two stores, the second being one being inhibited by semi-scary salesmen, we decided to go with the first store and their lovely selection and service. After some side-sleep testing, we found our bed!
 AND we got a free 32" HDTV with the deal - YAHOOOO!!

semi-photo of said purchased bed

It should come on Saturday. I have a feeling I will have a hard time waking up for a recovery run Sunday lol. I will blame it on the foam - it might not let me go.

Are you picky with your bed?

Oh and I'm waiting on final word to share some SUPER AWESOME NEWS with you guys...I probably can spill it this weekend!

A Christmas photo montage

Hubs the Elf making breakfast with me - gotta have energy for presents especially post-run!

I did a scavenger hunt with Hub's fave: Coke Zero, he joined the Globo Gym team, and got new Pegasus sneaks

Yay for a Camelbak and new medal holder!

Jaeden loves his dental sticks & helping with gifts. We end the night with Moscato!

What was your favorite gift this Christmas?

Today I take on more speedwork. With another cold front in town, the running weather Gods shall help me through once again!

Thanks for the support via yesterday's Vlog! Sure means a ton ;)

My lil lungs: an update

Gotta love the thumbnails that YouTube chooses ;)

* Pardon my emo-esque demeanor - I was pretty tired from the food-coma I was in!

Just another day at the asthma doctor

Do you have any physical limitations to your running or life in general? How do you deal with being frustrated?

Merry Christmahannawanzika!

This is our first Christmas as a married pair! We've celebrated Christmas before, but this year feels different. I got to marry hubs back in May, and it's been awesome - both ups and downs - to venture into our life together as hubby and wifey. There have been times when work and life contributed to some complacency in the past few months, but we have made sure to spend time together - quality time - so we keep our close bond. Hubs was sweet enough to plan a surprise, fancy pants, dinner during our Christmas weekend together. He took me to a restaurant we'd both not been to before: Ruth's Chris. Woo hoo, steak time!

 

 

We tend to clean up nicely ;) (by the way, I got this dress at Charlotte Russe: $25, I've had the shoes for years)

 

I was surprised to see that the prices weren't as steep as I'd expected, and we were so to taste a little of everything with the "Ruth's Classics" menu:

 

 

 

We caught up on our past 7 months of marriage and our plans and hopes for 2013...over a lovely bottle of Moscato ;)

 

 

Christmas Eve - even after both having a 1/2 bottle of vino in our systems from the dinner before - we soldiered through an awesome workout at the gym together. I even had the best run I've had all month long - including negative splits and no issues breathing! If only all runs could be this splendid!

 

Via my instagram

 

 

I wish you all a wonderful day to celebrate with family and friends. I also pray for those going through hard times to have the strength to get through and remain strong. I appreciate all of you who come to read my silly blog and keep me motivated through your support!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

 

xo, Kat, Hubs, and Jaeden

 

 

Did you get your Christmas wish this year?

 

 

Motivational Monday: Featured Sneakers #12

As we celebrate Christmas, I also want us to stay motivated because we all know the sweets and desserts that have tempted us all....or just me! This weeks Featured Sneakers belong to my good friend Abby! She's a blend - blogger friend - of mine who has struggled through different injuries on her path to tackle running milestones in her life. She's also one of my sidekicks with the #HOLIDAYADAY December photo challenge who is the graphic genius behind our layout. Check out a little about her here!

 

Name: Abby LandBlog: backatsquarezero.com

What is your favorite way to workout/exercise: Run! ( I also enjoy spin & barre)

What is your #1 cheat food: Homemade mac 'n cheese or any, and every, dessert.

What advise do you have for those starting on a fitness journey: Find something you enjoy and focus on that. I hate yoga, I am not a big fan of weight lifting. However, instead of stopping I just kept trying until I discovered running.

 

Dream destination race/location: Too many - NYC Marathon, Chicago Marathon, New Orleans Marathon, and hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim in 1 day currently rank at the top of the list.

Favorite inspirational fitness personality/trainer: I love watching US marathon runners Kara Goucer and Shalene Flanagan.


Workout apparel must have (+brand): Mizuno Wave Creations. My favorite shoe and the reason why I still have 10 toenails.


Motivational motto/quote: "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." John Bingham - and - “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.” ― Mae West

Twitter: @BackatSquare0

Instagram: @BackatSquare0

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BackAtSquare0

 

Do you want to be one of my Featured Sneakers?

Email me: katwilsonart@gmail.com!

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

 

Weekly Workouts: 'Tis the Season to do work!

We all can understand the tough road that Christmas brings to our workouts....the cookies and treats....bah humbug to them! Keeping balance in life is one way to handle enjoying the holiday season while not gaining weight or losing fitness during the holidays. 'Tis the season to do work!

 

Feel free to linkup (linkup at the bottom, use this button below!) with Myself, Meghan, and Genna any time this week with your weekly workouts!

 

 

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Week of 12/17

 

I'm back to running 5 days a week and incorporating crosstraining consistently. I have recently made the leap to purchase a Crossfit groupon to start that heading into 2013 ... Excitement and fear both strike me as I make that mention! Eek! I have also reintroduced speedwork into the scene. It's been tough to start up again because I am so afraid to hurt myself and know that speedwork is an easy way to do just that. I am doing 4 x 800s for now, then will increase to 5 & then 6. It's what helped me with my speed at the Women's half, so it's a must! I'm still having a doozy of a time breathing. I went to an Allergy/Asthma specialist Thursday and will Vlog this week about my experience and plan to improve that part of my life so I can run better!

Another fun part of this week: Cold.

 

 

Yes, my Northern friends are currently laughing at me and my ability to remain such a wuss while they endure much colder temps. Yuck it up lol. Freezing temperature are foreign to us here in Florida. I had no idea really what to wear on my long run yesterday; hats, and gloves, and sleeves...oh my! I checked the weather throughout the day and there was no letting up - bundling up was happening. Usually it warms up which can make it hard to decide on what you want to throw away as you're running. Oddly enough, the cold is kind to my lungs so the run was a great one! We even pretended to be reindeer running through our local neighborhoods; the joy that must have brought to those residents.

 

Aside from workouts, I've been thoroughly enjoying holiday time and days off with the family. Yesterday we spent the day with my mom and dad-in-law along with some family from Illinois - and oh how they loved picking on us as they thought the 30s were a welcome, warm, change from up north!

 

 

Mom got me this super gorgeous new Coach purse...thanks Mom! It's not even Christmas yet and I've made out like a bandit! Hubs gave me my new Garmin Forerunner 10 early too! I like it so far - it weighs about a fourth of my old Garmin. There are some things I'm trying to still figure out which I'll share once I break it in!

 

Speaking of Christmas, we have an Aspaeris Pivot Compression shorts Winner!

 

Ashley from Running Bun!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

#RecipeFriday - It's black, it's white..cookies!

I never bake. I have just gotten around to roasting and being better about veggies, but the last time I baked-baked, Hubs and I were just starting to date and ended up both gaining weight during our first Christmas...ah, those were the days. Happy weight, but weight nonetheless. So, I've avoided baking.

I had another date with the Tampa Bay Lady Blogger gals though. A cookie swap of cookie swaps. I had to dust off my cookie sheet and be a trooper!

With more and more healthy-eating recipes lurking the internet machine, I've begun to have a peeked interest around ideas for snacks I can bake that won't necessarily be "a moment on the lips, forever on the hips" deal. I decided on attempting my own variation of a cake cookie to use in a black and white cookie recipe. After some tweaks I came up with my Cookie Swap creation! {insert evil mad scientist laugh} which means I can join Candyfit again for #RecipeFriday!

 

 

Healthy adjustments:

whole wheat flour + unbleached flour instead of all-purpose flour

Applesauce instead of oil

egg whites instead of eggs

sea salt instead of iodized salt

Smart balance butter instead of unsalted butter

 

Skinny Black & White Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Cookies: 1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (all purpose)

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Smart Balance light butter (soft)

2/3 cup applesauce

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 large egg whites (I used liquid egg whites)

Frosting: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided

3 tablespoons 1% milk, divided

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa

 

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place applesauce over a few paper towels to use as a sieve if you don't have one (I didn't) and let drain for 15 minutes. Work with dry ingredients: measure out flour (both types) and put into large mixing bowl (leveled measure.) Add in baking powder & salt and whisk together. Set aside. Combined drained applesauce, granulated sugar, and butter in another large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or use a blender to blend well. Add in vanilla, almond extract and egg whites and blend entire mixture. Take flour mixture and slowly add into the liquid mixture's bowl either through using a mixer or using a fork until ingredients are smoothly combined. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil with non-stick spray. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart - bake on 375 for 10 minutes or until set (not completely browned but done.) Cool until firm.
To prepare frosting, (white side) combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and almond extract in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk until smooth. Take one cookie at a time and cover half of the cookie, scraping excess frosting off at edges, let stand on drying rack 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Black side) Combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar and the cocoa in a bowl. Gradually add in 2 tablespoons of milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Take one cookie at a time and cover the other half with this mixture, scraping away excess frosting. Let stand another 30 minutes to 1 hour until frosting is firm.

 

Verdict: Me likey. And Hubs likey. And co-workers and friends likey. All is well in the world of healthy baking and I was ready to debut my lil prized cookies.

This past weekend, Beks scooped me up and we headed to my friend Steph's house for the First Annual Tampa Bay Lady Bloggers Cookie Swap! I brought one of my birthday presents that my friend Syl got me, my mini Buddy the Elf, to help me partake in the sweet festivities.

It was a great time of catching up on races, life, and enjoying a wonderful spread of not only our cookies, but some snacks & drinks that Steph put together, she was the hostess with the mostest!



 

B.o.B. and Buddy got along nicely while the ghost of Genna photo-bombed their shot.

 

 

Meghan commented on how my cookies were tasty and she was surprised that they were of the healthy persuasion. Score! There were prizes - we judged - for best appearance, best tasting, surprise ingredient, and best overall! While I didn't win, I was just happy to hear I'd done well on my baking trials and had the best time with the ladies, some of which I hadn't met before!

 

Back row L - R: Steph, Debbie, Rachel, Jacqueline, Meghann, Beth, me, Grace. Front Row L-R: Caroline (photo courtesy of her), Meghan, Monica, Diana, Genna, Jess, Beka, Anna, and Nicole

Great seeing you ladies! Happy Chrismahannawanzika!

Do you bake cookies or buy them? Healthy or traditional?

Oh, what a Year! plus #RunHappy News!

My friend Angela over at Happy Fit Mama posted a "Year in Running" post and encouraged us all to do the same - why the heck not?! Nothing like taking a look back as such a pivotal year - shoot I'll add in other stuff too! And it's Thankful Thursday so why not reflect on great things I am super thankful for?!

 

 

Best race experience? The Women's Half Marathon on 11.18.12

 

 

Best run? too many to list! I'd say the last long run I did with Kris, B.o.B., P Funk where we hadn't all been together, running, in a long while - conversations switched from one crazy topic to another and the miles didn't feel like miles.

 

Best new piece of gear? Brooks Pure Cadence sneaks!

 

Best piece of running advice you received? "No new is good new on race day." Fuel the same, dress in clothes that preferably aren't new, keep things the same. If not, you can end up with bad blisters or a heck of a tummy issue for sure.

 

Most inspirational runner? Michele from nycrunningmama.com! I've been a reader of Michele's for some time now and, while there are a ton of runners who inspire me (and it was hard to just note one as 'most inspirational'), seeing how quickly she's jumped back into running - after giving birth to her second child - really pushes me towards the "no excuses if you can help it" mentality.

Happiest moment of the year? Saying "I do" to my hubby in Antigua on 5.5.12!

 

Highlights & Achievements: Super awesome wedding-related celebrations, meeting the lovely ladies of the Tampa Bay Lady Bloggers, bonding with my running partners, running my first 15k, running my first Half Marathon, starting my blog back in June (so much has happened in 6 months!), becoming a Sweatpink Sister, becoming a FitFluential Ambassador, becoming a Fit 2 Run Ambassador, pacing a friend to her 5k PR, winning my iPad & going to CGLBlogCon, having such a blessed life full of awesome friends and family!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Go the Distance! Push yourself to your farthest limit, don't get too comfortable!

I never thought that starting a blog about my life as a newlywed - when wedding planning ended, I had no idea what to do with myself! - and working towards becoming a more proficient runner would lead me to where I am now! I've welcomed change and it's put me in a very happy place!

 

See the positive in everything!

 

Speaking of Brooks & Highlights, oh my ... I was thrilled to hear even more fantastic news last week when I found out I was chosen to be sponsored for the 2013 Brooks Inspire Daily (ID) Program!

 

Brooks I.D. stands for Inspire Daily. These two simple words guide the principles of the program. Brooks I.D. is made up of over 800 members who are active in their running communities and share a passion for the Brooks brand. They are runners who are winners in their own right: Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their own limits, and, by extension, encouraging others to do the same. They are coaches, mentors, and leaders.

 

I'll be one of their Media partners who will review products and be able to try gear from a brand I truly love! Those who know me know that I've ranted and raved about my love of my Brooks sneaks - which I am up to 6 pairs of. I have worn Brooks Pure Cadence, and now Ravennas also, since Gasparilla's race back in March. I have been loyal to the brand and now have 4 pairs of the Cadence - including the NEW Pure Cadence 2! - and also have turned hubs into a lover of Brooks. I am super excited & proud to be part of this program heading into next year and will do my very best to inspire others!

 

 

Sidenote: Jaeden asked that I add this into my post - He's hoping ... paws crossed... for me to pass on to Brooks that he's looking forward to a Pure Pawdence line for pups. I asked him not to hold his breath.

 

My first order of Brooks official I.D. business will be to join them at the Disney Marathon weekend Expo January 11 (Friday) the day before I run the half - hope to see some of you there there!

 

How has your year in running & in general been? - Hey, you should do this post too!

Any great news coming up for 2013?

 

 

Randomness & lots of link love

This will be a post of random updates. Just a forewarning.

1) With Christmas coming up speedily, I took off this Monday (& Friday - insert evil laugh) to finish up some odds and ends for the holiday and tidy up the house a bit! Of course, I had some distraction with lots of clearance & sales racks. I found some great steals for myself also! I know, I know I was supposed to be Christmas shopping ... it was a moment of weakness ;)

Each of these was $15 or under. Pause for reaction.

2) On the workout front, I've gotten back into my run mode with the new sneaks and a humid tempo run yesterday. I was drenched by the end but had 3 race pace miles in the middle that I hadn't had since right around the Women's Half. Merry Christmas from the running gods?

Growdy.

3) Are you still enjoying the lovely #HOLIDAYADAY Instagram photo challenge? Jaeden sure is...I mean, #Santa sure is! Be sure to join the #Holidayaday #Mafia (Abby, Gina, Kate, Beks, Mindy B, Sarah & Mindy A) through the end of the month - it's a blast to see the pics everyone comes up with!

SANTAAAAAAAAAAA!!

4) I also wanted to share some links from posts I've dug this week! Check 'em out yo!

Pavement Runner: He deserves it after running a 50 miler – send him to Seattle!
MizFit Online: She's released her E-book!
Blonde Ponytail: A Holiday Travel workout, no excuses!
Discombobulated running – She ran a half marathon on the fly!

Rebecca Roams - Beks and I had a blast at the Color Run!

How's it hangin' this week with you?

Race recap: The Color Run!

I'd been looking forward to The Color Run for months and months. I'd seen post after post from friends who ran the race in other towns and was eager to get into the color craziness myself! Sometimes, as runners, we get so caught up in pace, time, PRs....I was looking forward to just having FUN and throwing the rest of those typical thoughts out the window!

Before the 'race' I'd already done 4 miles with Beks - we chatted and chatted to ignore the humid and foggy air - before we were all warmed up and ready to go! The crew (Beks, P Funk, Chris, and I) met up and headed to St. Pete, close to where the Women's Half was held, and immediately saw TONS of traffic leading into the downtown area.

Proof.

Over 10,000 peeps were running this color party 5k. If you're not familiar with the Color Run by the way, it's the "funnest 5k on the planet" where you are pelted with colored corn starch at each 1k marker. Yes, I'm serious. Anyway, after some counsel with my car mates, I was able to find a shortcut to break free from the chaos and we were even able to park for free!

I was sad I missed finding a ton of friends I knew who were running the race, but in the sea of white shirts and headbands, it was SO hard to find anyone once we were parked and at the start area. We did bump into Meghann, Caroline, and Jessica though!

We jumped into the first wave of runners and were off around 9am!

This race recap is easy peasy!

Mile 1: Pink and Blue pelted us. We laughed and giggled.

Mile 2: Orange pelted us. We laughed and giggled.

Mile 3: Yellow pelted us. We laughed and giggled.

Now, here is the photographic proof of the fabulousness that was the St. Pete Color Run!

Thanks Ben for awesome pics! This one is my favorite!

Verdict - in adjectives: Fun, messy, freeing.

This was the last stop for The Color Run for 2012...but they are coming out for another tour next year!

Do you need a break from 'serious' working out?

Did you enter this week's giveaway yet?