2019 Year in Review

As 2019 comes to a close, it’s time to take a few moments to reflect on the year. For blogging purposes, this mainly focuses on athletic achievements during the year. However, at the end it includes a few random family things from the year, for keepsake purposes. While Braden & I both enjoy our sport endeavors, it is just a small part of our life…we are two working professionals with demanding careers whose primary focus is on loving each other and raising our little boy to be a “good person”.

Braden: After earning National Age Group (NAG) rankings in both cruiser & 20” class with USA BMX in 2018, Braden classified up to the highly competitive Vet Pro class and signed with a new team (Velocious Sports), which provided him great support & training opportunities this year. Despite taking 6 weeks completely off from workouts, he finished the year ranked #8 Vet Pro, while also managing to completely re-vamp Tanglewood BMX ($35,000 donation from Village of Clemmons, new track design & slurry/ soiltec, new Pro-Start gate, hosted USA BMX Southeast Region Gold Cup Championship) as the volunteer Track Operator. Not only did he re-vamp the actual track, but he has worked tirelessly to build the sport, running two BMX Racing Leagues and starting a Rider Development Program, while also earning a promotion at work and getting multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Terrieha: This year kicked off with the main goal of getting into the Boston Marathon! Despite earning a BQ time in 2018, it wasn’t fast enough to get in, as the acceptance time was almost 5 minutes under the qualifying standard. In March I set a half-marathon PR (1:33) and won 1^st overall female at the Pacing for Pieces Half Marathon in Florence, SC. Four days after getting diagnosed with the flu, I flew to Chicago in mid-April and earned another BQ time, set a marathon PR (3:28), and punched my ticket to the Boston Marathon, thanks to a 7 minute buffer! In May, I switched gears & signed up for my first Duathlon. I ended up winning 1^st overall female, despite not having been on my bike in over a year, and still feeling sluggish marathon legs. I did my second Duathlon and won 1^st overall female at the end of Summer before switching gears and focusing on trying to set an all-time 5K PR. I won two 5Ks that weren’t PRs, before finally hitting a PR (19:36) but lost the win at the line, thanks to blasting music and not knowing how close she was. Three weeks later I set another 5K PR (19:23) on a much more challenging course and won 1^st overall female. I have taken November & December off, only running about 20-25 miles per week and two lifting workouts per week.

Breck: Breck started 2019 learning how to ride his new Cult pedal bike at just 3 years old! In March he started his first season of YMCA soccer, before transitioning to Soccer Shots in the Summer and then playing with NC Fusion in the Fall. In April, he got his new DK race bike and rode/ raced at the following tracks this year: Tanglewood BMX, Burlington BMX, Music City BMX, South Park BMX, Richmond BMX, Oak Mountain BMX, Capital City BMX, and finished with his first big National race at GRANDS! He continued weekly gymnastics lessons at Tumblebees and has excelled at weekly swim lessons with Safe Swim NC Specialized Aquatic Training. Breck also did a horseback rising camp this summer at Legacy Saddlebreds, as well as a few gymnastic camps. Besides when he is at pre-school, the kiddo is always on the go finding new ways to be active and always wanting to try every sport/ activity!

Family Facts:

BMX Road Trips: 4 (Dixieland-Atlanta, Music City-Nashville, Stars & Stripes-Southpark, PA, Grand National Championships-Tulsa, OK) + daily down & back for Carolina National-Rock Hill, SC

Family Vacations: 2 (Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge/ Sevierville and Outer Banks)

Mommy & Breck Trip: 1 (Birmingham, AL to visit Aunt Boo & Uncle Jamie)

First Visits: Monster Jam, Georgia Aquarium, Boat Ride, Nags Head (Beach, Sandboarding, Go Kart Racing, Putt-Putt Golf), Arena Cross, High Point Rockers Game, PBR Bull Riding, Movie Theater (Frozen 2), Beech Mountain Resort (Skiing & Snow Kamp)

Typical Out & About Activities: Waterfall Hike, Trampoline Park, NC Zoo, Greensboro Science Center, Wet n Wild, Greensboro Children’s Museum, Tanglewood Christmas Lights, Safari Nation, Lots of Park Visits, Lots of BMX Races

Missed Annual Activities: Kersey Valley Pumpkin Patch, Auburn Football Game

Terrieha Out-of State Work Trips: 15 different cities (May-October)

Halloween Costume: Astronaut w/ Jet Pack

4^th Birthday Party Theme: Robot @ Tumblebees

Family Birthday Gifts: Tennis Racket, Bag & Lessons, Micro Kickboard Scooter, Magnatiles, Auburn Football Helmet & Jersey, Book, Board Game, Stuffed Animal, Money

Christmas Gifts: 12ft Trampoline, Air Hockey Table, Barbell, FitBit Ace 2, Helium Bike Parts (pedals, stem, bottom bracket, crank, etc. to lighten bike), Remote Control Car, Hot Wheels Tracks & Cars, Magnatiles, Pottery Barn Chair, STEM Toys, Paw Patrol Fire Truck, Books, NC Zoo Membership, Name Sign, Board Game, Money

 

The C Word

I love writing and sharing my thoughts. I love putting into words my thoughts, not only to share and hopefully inspire someone else, but also so that in 5, 10, or 20 years I can re-read my thoughts and reflect upon that time in my life. Maybe the words will make me laugh, bring tears, or I may have developed a completely new stance and just shake my head at my ‘former self’. I also love sharing workouts & healthy recipes, and while I would love to turn this into a profitable side business, I have so many other priorities that the idea of making writing a requirement isn’t appealing at this time. Maybe that will change in future months/ years, maybe not! So, whether only 3 close family members read or somehow a post becomes a viral internet sensation, right now it is just about putting my thoughts into words and using this medium to document and share those thoughts.

While a lot has transpired in the last 16 months since my last post, including running another BQ time and this year getting accepted for the 2020 Boston Marathon, we will skip over all that (at this point) and jump right into my thoughts from last night.

There are lots of four letter words we don’t want our children saying, but one word that is never included in that list is the C word…CAN’T.  This is a word that is used so often by both children & adults, people never really think before it comes out of their mouth. It is so ingrained in our vocabulary; however, if you sit back and think for a moment about why you say “can’t”, it is rarely because we actually cannot do something. Maybe the word can’t stems from fear, whether being physically afraid of the task or fear of failure, or maybe it stems from another word that starts with a c…CHOICE. Often we say I can’t do something but really we are choosing not to try or we are making the choice to not make it a priority.

While on my bike on the trainer, with my kiddo roaming all around the garage, I started thinking about these two C words and how it relates to much of our adult life. As part of my professional career, I work to encourage employees to cultivate their own healthy lifestyle. In this role I have heard the word “can’t” more times than I can count. While occasionally the reasons may be valid, most of the times the reason is that people make the choice to not make physical activity or healthy nutrition a priority. As a full-time working mom with a kiddo who has activities 5 out of 7 nights a week, I can understand and empathize. However, I have made the choice to make my health a priority and part of that means my workouts non-negotiable (most days). On the days I skip workouts it is because I made the choice to prioritize something else that day…and that is ok. But it is important to understand it is a choice…not because I “can’t” do it.

While the c-word is most often used as “I choose not” in our adult lives, when it comes to children, the “c-word” often stems from fear. When I hear my 3 year old say “can’t”, I stop him right there and ask the ever important question “why do you think you can’t”? From there we work to build up his confidence and encourage him to give it a try with all his might. While often he actually does achieve what he was trying to do, the times that he may not achieve the task initially, he learns that he can try and over time he may just get there. Failing is not a bad thing, but not trying is not okay. In fact encouraging our children to work on challenging tasks helps develop a growth mindset. Research shows that it is better to give a child praise for effort rather than praise for their success or intelligence. Those who were praised for their effort pursued more challenging tasks, while those who were praised for their success favored tasks they knew they could perform well.  So the next time your child says the C-word, encourage them to try and be sure to always praise their effort no matter the end result.

Parenting the TeamWork Way

I follow a lot of moms who are runners on Instagram and I have noticed a common thread…they all talk about they have to be ready for when their baby/ toddler wakes up (ie: meaning they have to have their run done), or I will see them post about stroller miles. While several are SAHMs, others do work outside of the house. When I see these posts & pictures, I always wonder, where is the husband and what is he doing? Does he have to be in to work early, does he not get home until it’s already dark, what is the other side to this picture/ post? Do they really have to get up at 4:30 to get the run done by 6:30am when the baby wakes up? Why can’t or more specifically why doesn’t the dad help? I understand the aspects of pumping/ breastfeeding for those with babies, but otherwise, I don’t get why more women don’t look at parenting as team work. Maybe I have an exceptional husband (truth is, I probably do), but we parent as a team (though honestly he most likely actually spends more time with Breck than I do). We encourage each other to pursue our athletic endeavors and understand the career demands we each face at different times. Today, Breck got up early (while I was out running and Braden was on the track bike on his rollers), so Braden paused his workout, scooped Breck out of bed, grabbed him milk & a morning snack, and brought him into the garage to watch Curious George and Braden got back to his workout. I got back from my run to hear Breck squealing and clapping as Braden did his bike sprints. It made my heart smile! Last night Braden was at BMX track for practice and I needed to get in my lifting workout, so little man played on the driveway, mimicked my exercises, and we got it done. Sure the rest intervals were not perfect (some longer, some shorter), but the important thing is, we find a way to make it work. Sometimes, Breck is not in the mood to hangout while we workout, so we improvise and get it done after bed or tag team the parenting tasks so the other can finish a workout. It is not always easy, it is not always pretty, but we work together to get it done and always put the happiness of our kiddo first. Seeing #motherrunner posts on social media often brings up lots of questions…this is just one that stuck out to me this morning! 

How I Hit My BQ Standard at Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon

Nearly 6 years ago I had the idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I had run a few half marathons at a decent-ish time, without the greatest training cycles and wondered if it was possible. I kinda thought the idea was crazy and wasn’t even sure if I really wanted to do it. However, it was always in the back of my mind and my husband would randomly encourage me to go for it, any time I brought it up. I started training for my first marathon in late November 2014, but ended up with a stress fracture in January 2015, and pregnant in April 2015. After having our little boy, I ran a half marathon 5 months (May 2016) after he was born, but never really had the urge to truly train and race until July 4^th, 2017. I did a local 5K with basically no training (just running 2-3 times a week for 3-4 miles), and after the race, the bug to run fast was back. It was the first time I finally felt like my old running self (except for being a little more tired LOL). I spent last summer working towards my sub-20 minute 5K goal and LOVED it! After achieving the goal and taking a few weeks off, I started to question what was next. In mid-December I decided to start training for a BQ marathon. If you read previous blog posts and follow me on Facebook, you know the training definitely did not go according to plan, thanks to injury and a horrid kidney stone that had me out for almost 2 months! In the end, I ended up with only 5 weeks of training (including race week) and my longest run was only 16 miles. But I headed to Kentucky for the Derby Festival Marathon, and decided to put my head down and DO WORK!

People have asked me at what point was it the hardest and the truth is, I somehow (thankfully) never hit a wall. I reminded myself to just stay with the pace group, put one foot in front of the other and ‘do work’. Once we got out of the hills at mile 15, I started breaking the race in to segments….miles 15-17, once I hit mile 17, it was just 3 more miles till you hit the last 10K; at mile 20 it was segmented into miles 20-24, then at mile 24 it was push it to the finish. For me on that day, nothing was negotiable…if the pace group picked up, I picked up…this marathon was a matter of staying mentally tough. Even though I had not run close to the miles in training I should, even though I had no set fuel plan, I had heart and determination, and it was a matter of turning the mind off and just going.  So while the race boiled down to a mental game, I do remember only three times thinking this is tough, but reminded myself I am a strength runner and I can do this. For the record and so I can remember in the future, the three tough times were: during the first 6 miles when my stomach was off, during the hills in Iroquois Park (miles 11-15), and the hardest was when I decided at mile 24 to push ahead of the 3:40 pace group and pick up the pace and my quads started locking up on me and the headwind hit me hard (thanks to tall guys in the pace group, the wind was pretty blocked the first 23 miles). When we hit mile 20, I reminded myself that this was what I trained for…these last 6 miles. A lot of my long runs I reminded myself to push those last miles and on race day, told myself this is where champions are made…these last 6 miles define you as a marathoner.

Speaking of defining yourself, ‘Define Yourself’ is what I wrote on the inside of my wrist before the race. I had listened to a podcast by Deena Castor during a training run about mental toughness and a mantra that she always uses is ‘Define Yourself’, as it related to your character. Not that I am in any way, shape, or form even close to Deena Castor level but the words really spoke true to me. The mantra was not related specifically to achieving or not achieving my goal (hitting the BQ time), but was about the moments when it was hard, when my legs would be tired. I wanted to define myself as somehow who did not give up, I wanted to define myself as someone who dug deep, and someone who stayed positive throughout the entire 26.2 miles. The one thing that I think really helped on race day, which is truly part of mental toughness, is the positive self talk. The other tip I would give to those looking to run marathons in the future is: Don’t think; just go!
Once the race was over and the Garmin was stopped, that is when I realized just how hard that marathon was and how bad everything hurt. I walked to the VIP tent (I got free VIP access because they did not have the 3:35 pace group that was advertised online), tried to drink some water (no food, because I cannot stomach it after long, hard runs), and got stretched out by the ATs onsite. I then walked the quarter mile (which took almost 30 minutes) back to the hotel, jumped into my car and started the 7 hour drive back home. I made it home in time for bath & bedtime with my little boy, which perfectly sums up my training cycle mantra #runhardmomharder

The big question is, ‘What’s Next?’ The plan is to take 3 days completely off, except for walking, stretching, and yoga. Then I plan to focus on 5K & 10Ks, with a weekly long-ish run of 8-10 miles until after 4^th of July, then start ramping it back up and race Big Cottonwood Marathon on Sept 8^th, with a goal of improving my BQ time to guarantee a registration spot for Boston! The one thing I hope to do differently in my next marathon training cycle, besides ideally being longer, is to have more miles during my long runs at marathon pace.

And finally, a few random facts (so I remember in 10 years from now): I ran this marathon consuming only 9 sweedish fish, 4 swigs of powerade, and a probably 10 or 12 swigs of water (I didn’t actually count that). Also, the day before the race was a big cluster: spilled smoothie, a fender bender w/ my neighbor, snapping at my supportive husband, finding out there was no 3:35 pace group as advertised, locking myself out of my hotel room, a dinner order that took over an hour which lead to everything getting pushed back and no pre-race stretch, soak, or foam roll, and no Tylenol PM to help me fall asleep. The week of the race was also less than ideal: busy/ stressful week at work and another bout of sinus issues. However, I went to bed hoping all the bad was over, and on race day, I got up and didn’t even think about all the little things from the day before…I was there to do work! This race medal is one that will always hold a special place…my first marathon & my first BQ!

Oh January + How to Make a Week of Meals in 2 Hours

Oh January, what a month you were…Between snow days, potty training, nearly 5 weeks of diarrhea/ loose stools, daily swim lessons, and the standard craziness that life brings with two working parents and a 2 year old, the month truly felt like it was forever long! Not that January was all bad, as we did have our first parent’s weekend away and took Breck to his first motocross race, I am crossing my fingers and toes that February goes a little smoother and is much warmer, though the 10 day forecast is not all that promising L The one thing that has somewhat saved our sanity on a nightly basis is the fact that I have spent Sunday afternoons cooking all of our dinners for the week. While I miss my fresh salads and grilled meats, there is just no way to make that happen when we don’t get home from work/ swim lessons until almost 7:30pm every night. So instead, we scoop out some food into a bowl and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes and call it family dinner (which really is more like a game of inhale your food and see how many times you get up and down).

Since I always like to see what other people are eating, and in case anyone else out there would rather cook all their meals for the week (except Saturday night) in one afternoon, here is a rundown of our healthy meals for the last 4 weeks. A few notes and tips…for the meals that used chicken, I pre-cooked all my chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, which is a huge time saver and makes perfectly shredded chicken. A few of the meals were utilized for 2 nights and often still had a couple lunches leftover as well. All meals passed the Breck (our 2 year old son) test. Some meals he loved more than others but each one he ate either for dinner and/or lunch.

Week 1: Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole (2 meals), Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole with Cauliflower Rice (2 meals), Chicken Fried Rice w/ Veggies & Cauliflower Rice (2 meals)

Week 2: Shalane Flanagan’s Marathon Lasagna (2 meals), Instant Pot Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplins w/ Carrots (2 meals), Instant Pot Chicken Sausage & Mushroom Risotto (2 meals)

Week 3: Shalane Flanagan’s Marathon Lasagna (2 meals), Instant Pot Turkey Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes, Buffalo Chicken & Broccoli Baked Potatoes, Mexican skillet w/ Cauliflower Rice

Week 4: Instant Pot Roast w/ Carrots, Potatoes & Onions (2 meals), Sweet Potato Turkey Chili w/ Homemade Gluten-Free Breadsticks (2 meals), Spinach, Caramelized Onions & Chicken Sausage Quiche, Chicken Sausage & Mushroom Risotto w/ Broccoli (2 meals)

If you are interested in any of the recipes, let me know because I am happy to share!