The ABC's of Me

When I ask my husband, "Why did you do that?" His typical answer is, "I don't know, it's the ABC's of me." Oh that drives me crazy because he thinks he's throwing me off course by throwing that line out there. I don't let it get to me anymore, I simply walk away and make him wonder what I'm thinking. :)

Apparently there is a popular questionnaire being answered by bloggers willing to share a little more info about themselves with their captive audiences. I'm sure some of you have seen this out in cyber land, it's called: The ABC's of Me. While I'm sure that I'm not all that interesting, I decided that I would share a little more with you. The title caught my attention and the teacher in me just couldn't resist. So here I go...

A. Attached or Single? Happily attached to the "ABC's of me guy" and proud to be by his side in this journey we call life.  I can still remember meeting him for the first time at a welcome back to campus party. I was a cheerleader, and he was a football player and well as they say, the rest is history!

B. Best Girlfriend? I have many girlfriends in my life that make my life so much richer with the gift of friendship. It's really hard for me to single out one person. However, if I have to pick one, then I can honestly say that my sister is my BFF. See pic below under letter N. 

C. Cake or Pie? Pie of course - apple or pumpkin pie. 

D. Day of the week? Sunday - family day. 

E. Essential item? My phone. I need it to keep my busy life organized! 

F. Favorite color? Shades of Gray. My students at school started calling me the "shades of gray teacher" and I had to kindly ask them to NOT refer to me by this name! Yikes. I've been trying to mix more color into my life!

G. Gummy bears or worms? Easy - gummy bears! I have been known to buy a bag and stash them in my car...

H. Hometown? Bay City, MI

I. Favorite Indulgence? Beach vacations. I love Mexico.

J. January or July? July for sure! I love summertime and all the activities that it brings. 

K. Kids? Three blessings who call me Mom. Notice the color palate that the kids are wearing? :)

L. Life isn't complete without? My faith in God and my family. 

M. Marriage date? July 1995

N. Number of brothers/sisters? I have one sister, Erin. She is my go to person, my sounding board. We are practically "twins". :) I'm adopted but pretty much grew up thinking that I'm German! 

O. Oranges or Apples? HONEY CRISP APPLES! Absolutely worth the extra cash!

P. Phobias? Heights! Good thing I'm a petite lady! Despite my fear, I did manage to zip line in Mexico above the jungle. I thought I was going to panic when I stepped up on the platform, but the guy shoved me off before I could protest - and after a scream or two, I LOVED IT! 

Q. Favorite quote? Do I have to pick one? I love quotes. Words move me. I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to them. http://pinterest.com/emseltz/words-that-speak-to-me/ 

R. Reason to smile? My life is filled with blessings that make me smile. I love memories that can make me smile no matter what is going on in my life at the moment. Ironic that I have another Pinterest board dedicated to things that make me smile. http://pinterest.com/emseltz/that-made-me-smile/

S. Season of choice? I LOVE FALL! Plus that's my favorite running season. 

T. Tag 5 people. 

1. My friend Kristin blogs at http://coresportstudio.com/blog/

2. I enjoy +Susan H. who recently posted: http://www.solesearchingmamma.com/2013/07/the-truth-behind-why-i-love-giving-my.html

3. +Matt MacDonald  aka as Captain Michigan, is an ever positive force and a fellow Michigander who blogs at http://captainmichigan.blogspot.com

4. +Steve Broderick is a fellow teacher from across the pond and here is a recent post from his running blog http://www.valeultras.blogspot.co.uk/

5. +Raina SmallTownRunner is a lovely person who spreads happiness on Google+ with her running posts. 

U. Unknown fact about me? I have a big crush on Adam Levine. Now you know. 

V. Favorite vegetable? Spinach. Love it.

W. Worst habit? I have a Diet Coke problem...help!

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? Umm no question - ultrasound. Fell in awe of the miracle of life when I saw my three children at just 12 weeks old.

Y. Your favorite food? I love Mexican food. I could eat Chipolte every day.

Z. Zodiac sign? Libra. Personally I don't put much thought into what sign I am, however here is a list of traits of libras. Interesting. I wonder what my family & friends would say. I can think of a few of these that apply to me. Hmmm.
Diplomatic and urbane
Romantic and charming
Easygoing and sociable
Idealistic and peaceable
Indecisive and changeable
Gullible and easily influenced
Flirtatious and self-indulgent

Well, that was fun. I hope that you enjoyed this snippet of my life. I would love it if you picked one letter of the alphabet and left me your personal response. Thanks for playing along. If you have a blog, play nice and answer the ABC's of Me questions and spread some more happiness.

Keep Smiling - Emily :)

Finding Time to Workout & Making it Count

Do you ever feel that time is passing right before your eyes and you want to press the pause button? I know I'm not the only woman out there who feels this way. As a wife and mom, I find myself trying to keep up with all the "home front" matters of life and some times it can be overwhelming! Keeping the kids from killing each other and myself sane in the summer months is always interesting! I'm pretty sure that at one time I prayed desperately for them... So between keeping your man happy, being an involved mom, preparing for the upcoming school year, cooking, cleaning, shopping, training for races & being CEO of your home, how does anyone find the time to workout?!! 

Here are 5 tips for making the most of your workout time.

1. Put it on the calendar. Sync it to your significant other's calendar so there are no surprises. 
2. Keep a pair of running shoes & a change of clothes in your car. You never know when you will have an opportunity to sneak a run in. I also throw in a beach towel in the back of the car to dry off sweat or to put it over my seat. Sweaty leather seats don't feel so great on a hot summer day.
3. Invite others to join in on the fun. If you workout with friends, it becomes a social event. I like running by myself, but I love it when I have someone to make the time pass more quickly. My kickboxing class at the gym is something that I look forward to twice a week no matter what! I love the people there. We suffer together and get stronger together! It's about building community and encouraging others in their journey.
4. Workout before dawn or late at night. This is the first year that I can truly feel fine about leaving my big one in charge of the girls. He took the Red Cross Babysitting class and first aide training, so now he's official. This has allowed me to enjoy my night runs or late workouts without feeling too guilty about taking time away from the kids. Don't get me wrong, I am a FIRM believer that taking time to workout makes you a better parent! And yes, I love working out late at night. Leaves me feeling truly drained, ready for a nice shower and the best sleep ever!
5. Involve your family. If you can't get away from the kids, involve them! I love to do active things with my family. It keeps us connected and creates a memory for my kids. Remember when we...? Since I have two older kids who are involved in organized sports throughout the year, it keeps them pretty active. My oldest, Z-Man, focuses on basketball and biking. He just finished up camp at a local university and is now getting ready for Nike Skills camp next week. The Goldfish swims for a big swim club year around and keeps super active. Some days she has two a days! CW has trained Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt and other famous swimmers but she is not fazed by all the hype. One day she swam next to Tyler Cleary from the Olympic team and didn't realize it until after someone said, "How did you like sharing the pool with an Olympic swimmer?" 

I try to plan a date with my kids individually according to what they enjoy. My son hates to run, but will definitely bike with me. My swimmer will do a kick set in the lanes at the pool with me and comment on how I'm so slow! My little one will go to the "workout park" in our neighborhood to spend time with me. You get the point. It's about making time to be active while having fun!

Whatever you do, make the MOST of your time. I give 110% every time I can because time is precious and I want to make it count. How do you fit in your workouts and keep the home front running smoothly? This post is written from a mom's perspective, but I of course can relate to dad's who are busy running things too. 

TRY THIS: This pic was taken after a killer kickboxing class. 
1. Get into a deep squat position like me. 
2. Keeping your hands in front of you and engage your core throughout the squat. 
3. Once all the way down in position, tap your heels to the ground.
4. Stand up 3/4 of the way up and repeat the motion. 
5. Do this for the entire length of your favorite song. Up, down, tap, up, down, tap, etc. Feels amazing because your core is engaged the entire song and your legs will be crying out for mercy! LOVED IT!
Let me know if you tried it.

Remember LOVE is spelled TIME. Do what you LOVE, LOVE what you do. 
Find the time - 
Emily

Bloglovin Post

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/9819453/?claim=hfur9s8nuae">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Hello there - 
Just a test post to say that I'm on Bloglovin. Whohoo! I think...
Do any of you use this tool? So far I've found some great blogs. I'll post more info later. If you use it, please let me know. Useful? Have you linked it to Facebook? I don't really like linking anything to my personal Facebook page. I still haven't created a Facebook page for my blog. 

I'm still getting used to all this blogging stuff. My brain is spinning. I need someone to design my website & help me out! Any suggestions are welcome! 

Thank you, Merci, Danke Schon!

Waiting for the magic to happen!
 :) Emily

I'm out of my comfort zone & I need help! 

Half Marathon Training Plan Decision Time

It's that time of the year again for me. Time to pick out a training plan to follow for my annual Detroit Free Press Race. Decisions, decisions...why is it so hard for me to pick just one. Do other runner's spend so much time researching and fretting about what to do? In the past I have used Hal Higdon's Half Marathon training plans: Novice and Intermediate 1. I also used Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 Full Marathon training plan for my first  26.2. Overall I felt happy with my results. Each time I shaved off time, but I still think that I need more. So, after doing some research I think that I have decided to go with...Hansons' Half Marathon Training Plan. http://www.hansons-running.com/training-plans/half-marathon-training-plan/

So many runners have been writing about the benefits of learning how to run on "tired legs". I have been trying to push myself on my last mile of each training run. It's been hard but rewarding. My last mile I ran was an 8:03 mile after running, going to body combat class, and then running. It was exhausting, but it made me feel that I can push myself harder than I have in the past. Something always seems to hold me back. It's my problem that I have to learn to overcome. Mental toughness. I've got determination for sure, but mental toughness is different.

This plan also includes speed work and long tempo runs. Honestly, I really dread speed work. It's one of those things that I know is necessary, but do I really need to do it? And how much speed work is acceptable? I don't live close enough to train with the Hansons Running Team, so I guess I'm going to find another runner willing to meet me a track to make it less painful.

I have a finishing goal time that I want to go after this year. Last year my half split was 1:58 and I was running conservatively because of not wanting to die on the last part of the marathon. I want to challenge myself to go for it and not hold back. I know the course well and I want it bad! Most runner's can relate to this reason about why we are driven.

Those of you who know me should be smiling right now! LOL. :) Here's the link to the race information. Come run in the D and Canada with me. http://www.freepmarathon.com/events/marathon

Questions: How do you determine which training plan to use? Do you ask friends, research, go with the flow, don't use a plan because you're so awesome!? I would love to hear your comments, advice.

Happy Training -
Emily

What's SUP?

I have been wanting to try Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP) since last summer. I was vacationing with my family in beautiful Harbor Springs, Michigan when I first saw the brave paddle boarders venture out on the bay. I had always admired the girls in the Athleta catalog for their strength and ability. Part of me wondered if I could manage that skill. My curiosity was fueled this past week while on vacation. 

I watched people paddle board on Lake Michigan and decided to give it a try. My awesome hubby rented two paddle boards and a kayak for the day. Yeah! My chance of checking another item off my fitness bucket list was in reach. 

My first impressions of my new toy for the day was that the board was massive! 11' 4' long and heavy. Second factor I should mention is that the lake temperature was a balmy 56 degrees! So the fear of falling into the frigid water was definitely on my mind! I started on my knees and made my way through the mass of brave swimmers in the cold water. My knees were gradually loosing feeling from the cold, and I was bound and determined not to fall off my board. 

Once I gained enough will power to stand up on my board, I did so with the grace of a football player doing ballet. I gingerly stood up and prayed that I wouldn't fall into the frigid water and shock my heart! And not to mention never hearing the end of the harassing that would certainly be thrown my way by many members of my family spurred on my determination.

I finally got my lake legs and I started to relax and really felt the board respond to the waves. In turn, my body learned how to respond to the changes in the elements and I loved it! I found myself taking in the full experience of the lake, bluffs, and friendly people cheering me on. It was amazing! And by the way, yes, Lake Michigan has waves! 

I ended up paddling for over an hour. It was challenging, yet peaceful. I loved it so much that we rented another board the next day. I even got brave enough to try it with my youngest daughter sitting on the front of the board. It's something that I will never forget. 

I was thrilled to learn that one can burn up to 700 calories an hour depending on your size, conditions, and effort. Paddle boarding engages all your muscles. It is a total body workout! Here's an article by Sam Burrows that explains the many benefits of SUP. http://www.isupworld.com/health-benefits-of-stand-up-paddle-boarding/

I was proud of my family for learning a new skill on vacation. I love that we shared this together and stayed active while on vacation. 

Have you ever tried paddle boarding? I would love to hear your story. What's on your fitness bucket list? I'm happy to report that I never fell in the lake! 

Stay active & find something new to add to your fitness bucket list. Next on my list: paddle board in Mexico or Hawaii. 

-Emily 

Pentwater, MI