[Mandy] Well, we’ve gone and done it again: we’re switching gears! With Christopher still lifting heavy but training to be in half marathon shape, I’ve also toned down my running and have allowed myself to focus on my other love: weightlifting. For a short time during my early 20s I focused solely on lifting heavy and putting on size…I was actually trying to gain weight! I got my bench press max up to 150lbs and was able to squat 185lb. I loved the feeling of moving heavy weight and feeling strong!  After my last marathon in October, it took me a little while to adjust to the idea of not running as much and to allow myself the freedom to try new things and to return to old loves. Christopher has been a great partner and has supported me and pushed me to venture back out and to take some time to devote to other forms of exercise. We’ve been lifting, running, cross-training on the elliptical, hitting abs pretty hard, biking, throwing in some crossfit exercises, and researching and experimenting new weight-lifting moves. We’ve been pretty impressed with ourselves in keeping things new and exciting and pushing ourselves to new levels…which brings me to my topic

I feel a little lost without goals, so I’ve set a few weightlifting goals that I would like to reach by the end of June.  I want to bench press 135 lbs, squat 185 lbs, dead lift 185 lbs, and do 12 unassisted pull ups. I have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, but I’ve been feeling so motivated and having so much fun with our workout routines, I’m hoping my drive will get me there! I have the best workout partner who knows when to push me and when to taunt me with a pacifier when I’m being a baby We signed up for the Hospital Hill Half Marathon in June, which will be Christopher’s first official half marathon! We’re doing our best to keep up our running as much as possible while still pushing ourselves in other areas. We’ll keep you posted on the race, but I’m sure we’ll only have good things to relay!

Mandy had a bit of spill on the sidewalk on our late night 12 miler.

On a quick side note, I am very happy to report that I just got new shoes! I’ve been running in my Saucony Kinvaras and have loved them, but I’ve been itching to drop down to more of a minimalist shoe. I’d love to be able to eventually run in Vibrams, but I think my body requires more of a transition. The Saucony Hattori is the lightest and most minimal running shoe that they offer; and after ordering them last week I was able to run the first 8 miles of our 12 mile run in them on Saturday night. I didn’t want to do too much in them too soon and risk injuring myself, but it was so hard to take them off after only 8 miles. I think I’m really going to love running in them. They are extremely light weight and don’t have much to them at all. It’s pretty close to the feeling of running barefoot!

[Christopher] The original idea was to just sign up for the Waddell and Reed Kansas City Half Marathon in October, but we were already putting in the miles now, so I figured what the hell. Why not, right? I’m looking forward to it. I’m not really setting a goal for time. I just want to finish it and know that I can without any issues (i.e. endurance, injury, etc.). We are still going to do the Kansas City Half as well. Hey, this is my big year of turning 4 – 0. Why not bring it in with a bang of all sorts of events?

I got a new pair of Vibram’s just a couple of days ago. They are the KomodoSports. These are my third pair of Vibram’s and they are all a bit different than the next; but so far these are my favorite. They have an extra adjustment on the side to make them a bit more snug. I took them to the test on Saturday night and they worked well! I’m looking forward to taking them to the trails to see how they feel there as well.

As I said, we have ton of events coming up that we are looking forward to doing. This month especially is our most favorite since we will be celebrating our one year anniversary on the Katy Trail again for the Pedaler’s Jamboree! Bike month starts this month, and national Bike Week is May 14 through the 20th. Lots of things coming. We really need to step up our game. Mandy has to make sure and show off those BAD ASS socks I got her as a gift whenever she can!

As always, if anybody ever wants to join us, please feel free to ask or just show up! We always welcome everyone; the more the merrier.

M&C

Christopher: Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over (thankfully!), we are getting things back in line and into workout mode. But instead of our usual weights/running routine, we are changing it up. Since I have decided to run the Kansas City half marathon this year, I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and pretend that I was training for one now. That way, I can see how my body reacts to the change of pace. This way when I go to actually train for the half marathon, I will be somewhat prepared for it. The training schedule I have prepared for myself is going to be pretty intense and not very forgiving as I am already experiencing. My schedule will go as follows;

-Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday will be the running days.

-Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will stick with my usual heavy lifting.

-Tuesday and Thursday dedicated to cross training for more explosive exercises to work on the fast twitch muscles and improve our agility.

Here it is only Thursday and my legs are screaming at me. As I laid in bed last night looking up at the ceiling, I had the heating pad under my hamstrings and I can still smell Bengay from when I applied it on my quads earlier that day; I wondered, why do I do this to myself? Why do I put my body through this stress when the rest of the world sitting down in front of the television, keeping up on world events, watching “Dancing with the Stars,” and enjoying their favorite dinner? I can say that I like the way it makes me feel, and that is mostly true, but more importantly I never want to say to myself, “I wish I would have done that.” I do what I want and I do what I love. It’s my life and I don’t get a second chance at it. Carpe diem!

Mandy:  I have been anxiously awaiting the beginning of training! I feel lost when I don’t have something to work towards, and I kind of felt like I was floundering for a while after I completed my marathon in October.  Since Christopher committed to his first half marathon next October and wanted to begin training for it now, I was more than happy to join in and train with him! My goal is to be in constant half marathon shape year round.  That way I can spontaneously run races here and there when I want to, and it won’t take much for me to train for something a little longer.  I’m also looking forward to adding more cross-training to my workouts such as total body cross-fit exercises and other forms of cardio such as biking, stair-climbing, and the elliptical, in addition to my weights.  My workout program is looking the same as Christopher’s; I’m still holding to my 3x a week running plan with a longer run over the weekends.  The mind and body have such a strong connection, and I know I just don’t feel like myself when I’m not running as much. As of right now I have not committed to any other races, but I know it won’t be long before I feel that itch again.  I’m ecstatic to be back on track with our workouts and diet again!  This year is off to a great start

We’ll see you out there! Where? Yes, there.

M&C

OK, now that we have taken our little break from everything, we are back and jumping in head first.

After the marathon, Mandy was contemplating running another full marathon (The Gobbler Grind) at the end of November, but with the declining health of her grandfather we will need to make an emergency trip to Phoenix to see him the same weekend. It is probably best for Mandy to take a little break and let her body fully heal before getting back into the swing of things. She IS tougher than nails, but a little break never hurt anyone.

Since the end of 2011 is among us and winter will be settling in soon, we have decided to keep up with our training like we usually do, but this time we have decided to do it a bit differently. Previously, our training would be pretty relaxed, 4 or 5 days a week of the gym. It would be basic weights and some running here and there just to keep the blood pumping and stay in shape.

This year, we are stepping it up. With both of us having goals to be more well-rounded and versatile at everything we do, this year will require us to change things up and remap our workouts. We will be stepping outside the norm and away from the routine that we tend to let ourselves fall into. It’s time for us to become more solid and really feel the intensity of our workouts. Working together and pushing each other, we will now start incorporating explosive and dynamic lifts, more cross training, more running, more cycling/stationary bike into our workouts; 6 days a week of pushing ourselves to the limits.

This is what makes us feel good and feel our best; when we are training for something and pushing ourselves towards a goal. It’s what we know. So what is it that we are training for? We have a long list of events planned for 2012 and they all start up in less than six months. Some of the highlights that we would like to mention is Mandy will be joining me in the Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge. This means Mandy will be getting to know her mountain bike really well. This will require her to practice more on the bike and take to the trails more often. As a team, we both will be running, biking and in the canoe together tackling this event, side by side. Another highlight, Mandy will be taking it down a notch to run the half marathon in KC, but not alone. This year I will be joining her for my first half marathon. I never imagined that I would be signing up for something like this, but I’m pretty excited to give it a try! One last high light, I will be doing my first century (100+ miles) bike ride. I will be riding in the Bike MS; a two day bike ride to help fight Multiple Sclerosis. As things sit, Mandy has no intentions on running any full marathons in 2012. She has plans for half marathons and adventure races, but we’ll see how the year plays out. Once she gets the itch, you can pretty much count on her going through with it. Of course I am behind her all the way, so we shall see.

These are only a few of the many events that we have planned next year. Take a look at our Events page for more info as to what is on tap for us. If any of these sound fun and interesting to you, please feel free to join us! If you hear of anything that you think we would be interested in, please comment and let us know!

M&C

[Mandy] Well this last week of training was a bit different than what my marathon plan had called for.  After my 20 mile run last week which turned out so well yet was so hard on my body, I decided to let my bruised and battered body rest.  I skipped an 8 mile run altogether and did a little extra bike riding for cross training.  I got in two good full body lifts and ended up cutting my 2^nd run from 8 miles down to 4 when I realized my joints and bones were still achy and sore.  I was afraid of doing any further damage and kept the big picture in mind: I’d rather rest a little now so that I could be in good health and ready in October.  I pushed my 15 mile recovery run from Saturday to Sunday at Christopher’s suggestion for one extra day of rest for my legs.  We stopped in at the KC Metro Walk/Run Store up North to grab some inserts for my shoes.  With minimalist shoes having little there to begin with, my Kinvaras had essentially broken down, and I was looking for a thin layer of cushion to ease the stress on my legs while running.  I was anxious to see how they would work for my run on Sunday and kept my fingers crossed!

We decided to do this particular run at the gym on the treadmill.  With impending rain in the forecast, we were also thinking that a softer, flatter surface might be better on my legs; so we lugged all of our bags and supplements inside and camped out on a couple of unoccupied treadmills.  I’ve done an 18 mile run on a treadmill before, so I wasn’t very concerned about being bored or growing restless.  I was just antsy to see how my legs were going to hold up.  As far as strength and endurance goes, I felt amazing!  I felt energetic and like my body wanted to move.  I was amazed at how good the inserts felt and how all but one of my previous pains had disappeared.  At about 4.5 miles in, my lower calf started aching, so I eased up on my stride and kept an easy pace.  It stayed with me for the next 8 miles, but with a few stops to stretch it out, it never got bad enough to make me stop.  Towards the end of my run, (not sure whether it was endorphins, numbness, or the inserts) it disappeared altogether; and I finished my 15 mile run strong in 2:14:57.  Running on the treadmill was a nice change of pace, and although my calf is a little sore today, I’m thankful for the option of keeping it light and easy yesterday.  Christopher ran alongside me and put in his highest mileage day yet: 10 miles!!  It was nice to look over and see him, having him keep me company in what could have been a very long and painful run.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs up for a half marathon someday!  I have my next 20 mile run coming up this Saturday, so I’m staying optimistic that my workouts will go well this week and all the aches and pains will go away!  There’s only 4 more weeks until Marathon Day!

[Christopher] After my Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge, I was pretty sore and tired. The next week I pretty much took it easy at the gym, barely running 2 miles on Monday and Wednesday. My feet and calves were still a bit tired. So when I told Mandy that I would keep her company while she did 15 miles, I never imagined that I would end up cranking out 10 miles. Technically, I ran 8 and walked 2, but I guess a mile is a mile.

I started out feeling OK with the first few miles but going into the fourth mile, my calves were starting to tighten up. After the fourth mile, I decided to bring it down to a faster walk. I looked over at Mandy to make sure she was doing OK. I asked her how much she had left, thinking that she only had a few miles left and I completely forgot that she was doing 15 miles. So, I stepped off to stretch a minute and continued running since she still had a little ways to go. I ended up zoning out and watching the Chargers and Patriots football game and listening to my music. It wasn’t until my feet started burning when I realized that I was already at another 4 miles, keeping a 9 min/mile pace. I decided that I had done enough for the day. I went ahead and decided to walk the last mile. I could definitely tell that the backs of my knees where worn out, but I felt like I still had plenty of stamina. So in all, I walked a half mile, ran 4, walked another half mile, ran 4 and then walked another full mile. Weird how the miles just rack up when you are not paying much attention. I certainly don’t think my body could have made it another 3.1 miles for a half marathon, but I was pretty close none the less.

Just for the record, Mandy was right. I always tell her that I don’t ever see myself running any more than a 10K. She always grins and says, “Someday you will.” Sunday, she was right.