1,2,3 The Mill is Good Enough for Me

I will admit that I only started running because I liked participating in races, specifically Disney Races.  I didn't particularly enjoy the training runs and I hated the treadmill, but those were just necessary evils to get me to race day.

Fast forward a few years later and I will tell you that I actually enjoy the training runs. I love being on the trails, at the island, and just being outside. I don't mind running in all sorts of weather (above freezing of course), and I've seen SO many interesting things from being an outdoor runner.

However, since the beginning of the year, I've fallen into a treadmill rut.  I've always hated the treadmill and only used it when necessary but lately I've been choosing the treadmill ON PURPOSE and I am actually enjoying it!

So why the change?

As much as I love getting outside, I love being at home even more.  On days I run outside, I come home from work, change clothes, let Baylee out for a minute, and then leave her again to go run. I hate seeing her sad eyes when I leave.

But when I stay home and run on the mill, she is much happier.

I've learned to enjoy the treadmill at home for the following reasons.

First off, it's so convenient. I obviously don't even have to leave the house.

This means it also saves me time.

Baylee can lay right beside me as I run.

I can multi task. This means I can read my e-books, read blogs, or watch my daily dose of Judge Judy!

Also, I've noticed that when I run indoors, I do more stretching and strength training than I would do when I run outside. I'm at my home gym anyway, so I might as well take the time to lift weights and do my other exercises. Hey, that's one more episode of Judge Judy I get to watch!

I kind of feel bad that I am enjoying the treadmill runs so much. Even on the warmer days I've been choosing the mill over going outside.  I will never convert to being a treadmill runner over an outdoor runner but I am glad that I am at least to the point were I enjoy it. -M

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap...March 4!

How is it the 4th of MARCH already?

Sunday was pretty foggy all day and I think it sprinkled on and off. I decided to stay close to home so my sister and I did a two mile loop around my neighborhood and we did a LOT OF HILLS!

On Monday I tried one of the Dunkin Donuts Girl Scout Cookie Frozen Coffees, I got the Peanut Butter Cookie flavor and it was awesome.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about that drink a few more times this week...lol.  Since I had the drink, I was inspired to run a little longer on Monday.

I ran 6.2 miles.  While on the trail I saw the cutest little dog. It was a Minature Labradoodle. I thought perhaps this breed of dog would make a nice buddy for Baylee if and when we decided to get another dog, but I am partial to a little bit bigger of a dog like retrievers so I don't know about getting a little dog. It's not just me.

Okay, so I suppose you are all just dying to hear how I made out with the Icon Fitness people on Monday when I got home.

I was on hold for 55 minutes. In that time I did my post run stretches, watched three episodes of Judge Judy, and baked three chicken breast in the oven and made a salad.  So, I guess the time wasn't a complete waste.

I had already known that downloading too many workouts could jam things up and cause my treadmill to react. On my end I only saw my three current workouts but on their end, there were more. The customer service rep deleted those on her end and I was able to start fresh.  I had her on the phone while I walked .3 miles and felt bad keeping her hanging on the phone.  It seemed to work fine. So far so good.

After work on Tuesday I came home and rested 10 minutes on the sofa while Baylee and I shared a handful of Animal Crackers. I really didn't feel like going for a run. I felt exhausted from work and over heated (it was hot at work and I had a rough day with the 8th graders). I had a good run on Monday so felt like I earned a rest day. But that darn weather beckoned me to get outside. We don't always have such beautiful weather in February so I needed to take advantage, especially since it looked like it might rain later in the week. 

I made a deal with myself that I would only have to run three miles. I ran around only the paved paths on the island and I felt fine afterwards. Refreshed actually.  I guess it's true, no one ever regrets going for a run.

Wednesday it was also nice but I just wanted to get some quick miles at home so I fired up the treadmill. I didn't even use the ifit program because i wanted to watch Judge Judy instead.

I took Thursday as a rest day but I didn't even rest. I actually spent all afternoon /evening in the kitchen cooking. I made home made potato soup (for later), tomato and basil pasta, salad (for that night), and shortcake for some berries I had. 

We had plans to go out with friends on Friday evening so I fired up the treadmill again to get some quick miles in. I was excited to use the iFit maps.  Let's just say I am continuing to be frustrated with iFit. It is NOT fixed.

The maps were not working properly and the treadmill stopped several times so the incline would calibrate (which never happened before).  I started it over several times and couldn't even get a full mile in without it shutting down.  Since I now know Icon Fitness is not open on Saturdays I called immediately (since it was still during business hours). I could not even get through but now that I think about it, I do know the Verizon towers were down due to some storms in the area. 

This was enough to make me frustrated all weekend! I will NOT be defeated by this iFit program. I have too much time and money invested at this point! Stay tuned as I am sure the saga will continue this week. Oh, for those of you keeping track, I started dealing with this on New Years Day. Will I get it resolved before the official start of Spring? Before Summer?   -M

Have you had the girl scout flavored coffee's yet? (I know I will be cheating on Starbucks with Dunkin for the next few weeks). 

Do you prefer small dogs or medium/large dogs (like retriever size)?  (I say medium/large because I do not mean LARGE dogs like Great Danes or St Bernards. 

We will be linking up with Wendy and Holly for their weekly wrap!

Extreme Weather Runs

March weather can be so unpredictable.  Kind of reminds me of running races.  No matter how much you prepare, anything unexpected can happen. And the thing we have the least control over is the weather.

We've experience some unexpected weather throughout the years.

When we ran Las Vegas a few years back, I expected to have a pleasantly warm run through the desert among some palm trees. Instead, I will remember this as the coldest race I've ever run. Turns out they were having an unexpected freeze at that time.

A very bundled up Snow White and Pocahontas

Another unexpected cold race was in Florida. That is the LAST place I would have expected to be running one of my coldest races. Turns out the theme of the race was "Frozen". Proof that Mother Nature has a very good sense of humor.

The wettest race I've ever run was The 2016 April Fools race in Atlantic City. This was the first time I've ever run an entire race in the rain. I love this race and running the entire thing on the boardwalk so the rain didn't really bother me while I was running, but it spoiled the post race party because the rain was pretty cold once we were standing still.

The hottest, most humid race hands down is our local 4th of July race. I will complain about how hot and humid this race is every year but truth be told, I look forward to it and will probably run it again this year. I now know that it's not one to be "raced".

During the Shamrock Marathon Lacey was lucky enough to experience ALL kinds of weather on that 26.2 mile journey. There was extreme wind, rain, sleet, and even snow!  The weather for this race has always been terrible. I suppose that is why she says she has no desire to run it again!

And although not during a race, I found my self running through a tornado warning last spring.  Of course I didn't know this at the time. I started my run on the island and as I entered the woods, those tree branches were blowing like nobody's business!  It actually was a little eerie.  As I ran by the water I saw all the waves and the white caps. Thank goodness I was listening to the radio and not my playlist because that is when I heard the tornado warning. Needless to say I finished two miles and got out of there!

What extreme race weather have you experienced?

Be sure to check out the Friday 5 Topics for March and stay tuned for April as we have some surprises in store for those who link up!

An InLinkz Link-up

What a Little Determination Will Do

I mentioned on the Weekly Wrap on Sunday that my plan for Monday was to come right home from work and call Icon Fitness about my iFit module. I needed to call right away because I knew I would be on hold for a majority of the evening before speaking to someone.  But when I got in my car to come home and saw the outside temperature was 64 degrees, I told myself that I was NOT going to let Icon Fitness hold me hostage today.  They have already monopolized so much of my time already this year. I needed to do some errands and of course why not soak up this sun and go for a run!

Can you tell I am wearing my flip belt under my shirt?

I took my run to the trail since I had to run errands near there.  I wore my RunDisney shirt because all this talk about Princess Half Marathon weekend this weekend has made me excited to plan my next Disney vacation!

I hadn't quite committed on how many miles I was going to run, but I knew I was going to run further than my usual 3 miles that I do during the week.  

I did a mile on the trail and then deviated off the trail (but still stayed on the adjoining sidewalk) and looped around the shopping center and fitness center. That gave me 2 miles. I figured all I had to do was just run back to where I started and I'd have 4 miles in already!  

By mile 4 I was feeling pretty good so decided to just continue on the trail a half mile more (and turn around a half mile) for a total of 5 miles.   Also by mile 4 my ipod battery went dead. I considered just playing music on my phone but remembered that I had to call icon Fitness when I got home and needed a full battery for that because who knows how long I would be on hold!  So I continued to run with no music and ya know what? It didn't suck.  By mile 4.5 I could feel a blister forming on my toe.  The funny thing is, I often get a blister on the side of one of my inside toes. I could understand blisters forming on the outsides toes from possibly rubbing on the side of the shoe, but the inside toes? I just don't understand what that comes from.  So anyway, after feeling a blister, and having no music, I still decided that ya, know what, I could run one more mile. I might as well do 6 miles since it is so nice out.

And I not only did 6 miles, I completed 6.2.  I Figured I need to ramp it up if I was going to be running a 10K next month.  I know it's only 6.2 miles but I was pretty darn proud of that. So here's the thing, it's not that I can't run far (I've run a marathon or two), it's just running is really time consuming. It's hard when you have a full time job, errands to take care of, and other interest beyond running.  So yea, runs beyond 3 or 4 miles just don't usually happen during the week.

So I was feeling pretty good after my run but that came to a halt when I went to the vet's office to pick up Baylee's food.  I need to tell you a little back story here. About a year ago the vet's office decided to put these LED candles on the counter and there was a little sign that read something like this If these candles are lit, someone is saying good-bye to their pet.  I buy Baylee's pills and food at their office so I visit more than normal. There were a few time I left that office with tears in my eyes because I had seen those candles lit.  I understand that they want people that come in to be mindful and respectful that there are pet owners there who are sad. I get it. But this was also working on my nerves each time I went in and finally I had to say something to the lady at the front desk about how sad it is to see those candles. The vet's office is not a happy place for me to be to begin with but than having a reminder of those candles makes it worse (I can imagine other people may feel the same way).  Well, when I returned, those candles were still on the counter.

Okay, back to Monday's visit. I was paying for my food and I noticed those candles were no longer on the counter. However, as I was completing my transaction, I man leaned over the counter and in a somber voice tells the assistant that his dog was in the car and wasn't able to get up, but she was ready.   I knew right away what he was talking about and I just wanted to get out of there ASAP before I broke down.  The assistant helped me carry my food out to my car  and I stayed focused only on my car and tried not to look at my surroundings because I did NOT want to have that dog in my vision. I put the food in the trunk and as I got into my car, I accidentally caught a glimpse of what I  thought was a blond dog head through the window in the car beside me.  I thought it may have been a retriever but I certainly did not want to look again.  I needed to get out of there.  I was successful at leaving emotionless (which is a good thing).

Okay, back to running. My February runs have been pretty good so far, with this being the best one all month. We have two more days this week and warm weather ahead so perhaps I'll get in another one that even surpasses this one. -M


If you read all this, thank you. I know it was long.

What do you make of the blister situation? What's your opinion on the candles?

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap..Feb 25

On Monday my new iFit modules arrived and I was eager to set it up to see if THIS ONE actually would work. It was a success. 

 Since it was Presidents day, I chose to do the Presidential run around the monuments. I didn't get to record how far this was because guess what? My treadmill stopped right in the middle of the run!  The belt stopped and the screen went completely black!  I was shocked, this has NEVER happened before.  I unplugged it, rebooted, and started on it again to finish out the mile I was in. Guess what? As soon as that mile was finished, the treadmill shut off again.
Scott seems to think that something with the module is messing with the treadmill.  I have no idea but I hope that is not the case.

On Tuesday I took my run outside since it was warm. I wore my #PinkPawLove shirt and Fabletics capris but really could have worn shorts!

Wednesday was clearly the best run of the week (or perhaps the whole year at this point). We had a preview of summer weather. I definitely wore my shorts and should have probably worn a tank instead of a short sleeve shirt.  I did my normal route around the island and across the bridge, but added some out and backs to it.

I knew in my mind that it was going to be more than my normal 3 miles but wasn't sure how far it would be. I decided that I wouldn't stop when I hit a certain mileage on my watch, but would stop when I completed the entire route.  Usually I stop at three miles regardless to where I am on the route and usually have to walk a little bit back to my car.  This time I was at 4.5 miles when I made it back to my car,  However, I decided since it was so nice out that I would push it to an even 5 miles!

Do you remember last fall when I wrote a post called "Cat Burglar on the Run"?  Well, on this run on Wednesday I looked to see if those cats were still there under the bridge, and I saw one of them.  I also met the guy who was taking care of those cats. He said he came and fed them every day this winter! Apparently they still live there because there is a little cave under the bridge.

Thursday was a rest day and Friday it rained all day so I tried the Treadmill again. This time I couldn't even get the routes to load up. I couldn't even tell you how far I got on this run because the machine kept stopping again. It was a lot of trial and error and we discovered that it was indeed the cassette module that is making my treadmill turn off. When I take the cassette out of the treadmill, it works fine.

Saturday I was up bright and early with the intentions of calling Icon Fitness to get this Treadmill thing workout out YET AGAIN! I thought if I was the first caller of the morning, I wouldn't have to be on hold so long.  Turns out, they aren't open on Saturdays. So guess what I'll be spending my entire Monday afternoon doing?  I will call at 3:40 and I will predict that I won't even get anyone on the phone till 4:40. Fair assumption?  I was so frustrated with the whole treadmill thing I decided I was going to run outside, but it was really a little too foggy to be safe.  I went back in and just walked a few miles on the treadmill while I read my book. I figured I'd run outside later, but I never did. We ended up getting ready for the day and doing those weekend errands (grocery, Target, hardware store, etc).   

The weather is looking pretty good this week as we enter March so I suppose I won't need the treadmill anyway (unless it rains), but it's still something I want to get taken care of. Hopefully I'll have good news about it for the next weekly wrap!  -M

We are linking up with Holly and Wendy for their Weekly Wrap.

Icon Fitness hit or miss

Icon Fitness is the parent company for Altra shoes, Golds Gym products, NordicTrack, ProForm, Lotus, and several other fitness brands.

I've mentioned a few time about the iFit program that I have been using with my Nordic Track Treadmill and bike. Although I think it is a cool option to have on my equipment, it has been a very frustrating process. I could write several posts on experiences but I will try to keep this to a minimum.

Let me explain.
My equipment has always had the iFit compatibility but I only just subscribed to the service last January (in 2017).

1. Not only do you have to subscribe to the service, you have to purchase a module (that is pretty much a cassette that you have to insert into your treadmill or bike (or tread climber or whatever equipment you have that is compatible). I paid last January for my module and subscription.  The subscription is only good for one year but the module could potential last the life of the equipment.

The first module that I was given would not work properly. They had to send me another one.

2. Anytime I would call customer service, I would be on hold for no less than 30 minutes. Sometimes I've been on hold for over an hour. THIS IS FRUSTRATING. Apparently they need more customer service agents.

3. In addition, very little instructions on how to use the program are posted online. I asked a customer service rep once if I could find instructions online somewhere and he said "There are none, I guess this is my job security..haha"!   This was even more frustrating because of how long I have to wait on the phone to get someone to help.

4. On January 1, 2018, I decided I wanted to start using the ifit module with my TM again (#NewYearsGoals).  It again was NOT working properly.  The customer service department is understandably not open on New Years, so I end up calling them later that week to ask for help again.

That Wednesday (after another long wait), I get a customer service rep on the phone. She tells me that my module must have gone bad and that I need to purchase another one. WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE... I have a subscription to this service for one year (until the end of January 2018), there is NO WAY I am spending that much money on another module if I didn't even get a full year out of the one I have now.  The Customer Service rep tells me that there is only a 90 day warranty on the module. WHAT??? But the subscription is for one year, why would the module only have a 90 day warranty on it? She informs me that most modules last ten years or more.

I call back a week later (and wait on hold for what feels like FOREVER) and this time I want to talk to a supervisor.  Of course the Customer service rep wants to know what I want so I tell her my story.  She comes back and informs me that I need to renew my subscription (I am so frustrated that I don't know that I want to renew, but I do kind of want to try the service again since I didn't feel like I got my monies worth out of it last year). So here's the deal, If I renew my subscription it is going to be "X" amount of dollars. However, if my module is not working than I can buy a new module (that comes with a free subscription for one year) and they will knock $115 off the price.

This almost doesn't even make sense.  I take the deal. So now I just saved $115 off the subscription price and I am getting both the subscription and a new module.  She said I would have the new module in 7 to 10 days.

5.  My  new module was suppose to be here in 7-10 days. After 2 weeks, no module, and I finally decided to look my order up online to track it. I see that it hasn't even been shipped yet. Not only has it not been shipped, but I was charge $5 for a " Delivery Upgrade".   Upgrade???  Why?  Turns out they were out of the modules at the current warehouse. Since I called, they decided to send me a module from a different warehouse. Why not just do that from the beginning?  I got my module a week later.

But, that's not the end of the story. Remember when I said Scott and I spent about 6 hours one weekend trying to set it up?  Yup, turns out that module was broken too.  I called customer service (stayed on hold for 34 minutes, which I know is now par for the course), and she pretty much told me that if the light on the module does not come on, than the module is no good.   She sent another one and in 7 days I had it.

I've only used this new module one time so far but so far it works!

So tell me, how would you handle this situation? Do you think you would continue to subscribe to this program? I am going to see how this year goes and then  decide if I am willing to pay again for a third year. -M

Thank you if you read to the end of this post. We are going to be changing up the Friday 5 soon so stay tuned!

An InLinkz Link-up

My Weekly Eats

Believe it or not, I actually like reading WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) Posts. I've never  wrote one though because I never documented what I ate and by Tuesday I had already forgotten.

I was hoping that by documenting what I was eating, I would be more cognizant of it and if I knew that I was going to be sharing it here, that I would make better choices.

Well, let's just say that the week of Valentines day was probably not the best week to track what I was eating, but at least it kept me honest!

                                                                       Sunday

I actually found a Pumpkin Spice Latte that I had in my pantry from the holidays. I don't know what I was saving it for but I finally drank it on Sunday morning and it was fabulous!  I also had a bowl of vanilla bean yogurt.

Sunday lunch was pork, mashed potatoes, and peas.  We usually only make one meal on Sundays.

After I had showered and we settled down to watch TV, cheese and crackers and a glass of Alpine Spice wine was my snack. I had used the spiced wine in the crock pot earlier that day when I was cooking the pork, so it was kind of calling to me to have a glass.

For dinner I had another plate of the pork, potatoes, and peas, and for dinner I had some vanilla bean yogurt with blueberries.

                                                  Monday

At work

 For breakfast I had two Belvita biscuits. For lunch I had another plate of Pork, potatoes, and peas (That will be the last time you see that meal). I was making my valentines out for my school kids so of course I had to have a pack of Sour Patch kids (but you only get like 5 in those little packs).

At home

I eat lunch at 10:50 (and sometimes have a small snack at 2:00) so by the time I get home I am starving. I have to have a snack before I go run. Today's snack was puffed pop corn. I could seriously eat an entire bag of this stuff. I put a little in a small bowl and I may have filled it up twice.  For dinner we had lasagna and salad. Scott brought me home a chocolate peanut butter egg. I know it is way too early for chocolate Easter eggs, but there is church that sells these eggs at a local store in town and they go fast, they are that good. Scott said by next month they will probably be sold out! 

Tuesday

At work

Breakfast was vanilla bean yogurt and granola. Lunch was frozen Lean Gourmet pasta. I know those are not the healthiest but they are very convenient to grab in the morning when I didn't make anything the night before. My 2:00 snack was a piece of Dove chocolate I got on a Valentine. 

At home

My after work snack was some cheese and crackers and just a few pieces of the puffed pop corn.  Scott had gone to a Deli for lunch today and bought some different salads and some hamburg barbecue so we'd do a picnic for dinner. I had a sandwich, pasta salad, and some buffalo pretzel chips. 

      Wednesday

At work

Breakfast was some gingerbread oatmeal. Lunch was catered today since it was Valentines day.  There was so much food there but I settled on a slice of lasagna, Caesar salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, and an amazing cupcake!

At home

We went to dinner with friends so there was no picture but I had caprese salad, angel hair pasta, 2 slices of bread, and pistachio gelato.

                                             Thursday

Breakfast was actually another cupcake and I actually ate it before I got to work!

At work

For lunch I had a Lean gourmet mac and cheese and some left over Caesar salad from the day before.  My snack was a piece of Dove chocolate and then later another pack of sour patch kids.

At home

I was in a hurry to go run so I did not have my after work snack.  For dinner I had left over pasta from the night before and yogurt with blueberries for dessert.

                                                 Friday

At work

I did not grab anything for breakfast today and was hoping I could hold out till lunch time.  For lunch I had another Lean Gourmet and a mini bag of Doritos.  I think not having something for breakfast threw me off so by 2:00 I was starving and had another mini bag of chips (bad I know)!

At home

For my after work snack I had a box of sour patch kids. I only meant to have a handful, but you know how that goes. Friday night we didn't eat till late and I was craving comfort food so I had grilled cheese and potato soup, and a pickle.  I didn't even have any snacks when we sat down to watch TV later that night.

                                               Saturday

After a really good run on Saturday morning, I made scrambled eggs with cheese.  We were out shopping for the day (or at least that was the plan). We stopped at Garfield's restaurant and pub since we hadn't been there in ages and it was near where we wanted to shop. I got the quesadilla salad. It was pretty good but we only got to one store before I got violently ill. We ended up coming home and cutting our errands short. Scott dropped me off and then went to the grocery store by himself (which can be a bit frightening but he did okay). He came home with a box of Ferrero chocolates which are my favorites.  I had a few later that night when I was feeling better.  Dinner that night was just cereal for me. That's all I felt I could eat. 

Like I said, I don't know if Valentine's week was the best week to keep track of my food since I had some sweeter treats than I would normally have.  

Obviously I didn't eat as healthy as I should have this week, but there are some days I was surprise to see that I ate very little.  Tell me about your meals from last week! -M