Good bye running....

Hey guys! So I have been up to a lot this last month. I have change my workout schedule drastically...

I have decided to stop running long distance. (Crazy I know) By long distance I mean anything over 6 miles.

Although I LOVE running it hasn't been benefiting my fitness goals. I stopped losing weight (actually gained back some weight!) and feel like I body has lost shape. I really want to focus on toning & building muscle while continuing to lose fat. I have been doing my own research and have taken a plan of action.

First I joined a gym. After researching for about two weeks I chose Power House Gym in Aiea. I chose it based off of a few different things. First was child care, that was the number one important thing to me. Second thing was price, and it actually fit right in my price range. A few other things I looked at was location, cleanliness, how the staff were, and size. I wasn't looking for a crazy big gym that had a pool and track. I was looking for a gym that had free weights and machines. 

Second step I took was getting a personal trainer. When I signed up I paid for the package that gets you a person trainer for 3 sessions. I feel really lost in the gym and knew I would feel more comfortable with someone walking me through everything. I was given a trainer named Jake. I was nervous before I met him because I didn't know what to expect. But he makes me feel really comfortable and is really good at his job. If you are on Oahu and searching for a trainer I highly recommend him.

Third thing is to  come up with a diet plan. After talking to several different people I have decided to change how I am eating. I am going to start eating around 1800 calories a day and am upping my protein intake. I am actually counting my macros and if you are interested to see what I am eating you can add me on myfitnesspal ldholcombe.  

I will post a before picture tonight. Besides that I will just have to put in the work and be patient. Coming up with this plan reminded me of training for my first marathon and how excited I was over my plan. I love having NEW goals and having a plan put in place. 

If you count your macros I want to know in the comments below how it is working out for you. 

Darcy

First Race Post Marathon... GAR

First I want to say sorry for the lack of updates. My life has been busy but uneventful since the marathon. I did get an awesome tattoo which was a major highlight and reward for my hard work!

My new tattoo I got right after the marathon. Thanks Xavier at Vengeance Tattoo

I finally completed my first race post marathon- Great Aloha Run which is 8.1 miles. I decided to do this one differently: WITH A STROLLER. My time was 1:44:58, and I am extremely proud of myself! 

Photo Credit Goes to Stacey

Hi Molly! Sorry my shoe came untied right in front of you!

First thing you should know they make strollers start at the back of the race, even behind the walkers. Trying to maneuver the stroller through the mass amount of people was very tricky and a bit frustrating. Trying not to run into the back of peoples legs was the hardest part because my front wheel sticks out pretty far.

I was a perfect day to run the weather was beautiful and I felt completely prepared. I have been running with the stroller every single run, including long runs because my husband has been out on the submarine a lot more lately. I felt good 95% of the run, the other 5% was when I had a bit of a cough and no water. (I fixed it with a capri sun). 

Lucy was well behaved the whole time and we only had to stop once for her to go potty. She was my cute cheerleader and pushed me through the last stretch that was a hill. I had enough energy to start walking home. I made it a mile and my neighbor stopped and picked me up (thanks Krystal). 

I also want to thank all my fellow mother runners I saw along the way and before the race. Thanks Stacey, Jessica A., and Molly. You guys really gave me a confidence boost and I love seeing you at races. Also thanks to all of you who support my blog and show love long distance through Facebook! When I am out running I know you all are rooting for me and I don't want to quit because I know you are watching. 

Darcy

My FIRST Marathon: Honolulu Marathon 2014 Recap

If you didn't catch it in the title I put FIRST (not last) because after this marathon I am sure I want to do another. For the last few weeks I began to think that this marathon this was not for me, until I crossed that finish line. I was preparing for the worse. I thought that surely after the race I would be handicapped and in need of a caregiver. That was  not the case. Sure I was extremely tired and hobbled around like a 90 year old grandma. I did receive help getting back home, and later that night having a friend bring me some food. But when I was first left on my own I was able to care for my self. I ordered pizza, took a shower, walked my dog, and laid not only my self but my three year old down for a nap.

Okay now for the race day details.

I woke up at 1:30 am, because my ride was picking me up at 2:15 am. I was nervous but not crazy nervous. I ate a banana and a bowl of plain oatmeal and took a cup of coffee to go.

We parked and were able to hop on a Japanese tour bus instead of walking over a mile down the road to hop on the shuttle that we were originally going for. It ended up saving us a boat load of time and was hilarious!

The Japanese Bus

We made it to the start area and had plenty of time to use the restrooms and stretch. It was sprinkling and a bit chilly for Hawaii (in the 70's). I actually felt cold here for once.

At the beginning of the race I felt like it was a big celebration for all of the hard work we put into training, the firework show was the big kick off!

The first few miles were tough. Between "accidentally" elbowing tourists and having to dodge dummies who stop with out warning just to snap a pic- we were making decent time.

The first few miles were awesome when it came down to support. Crowds of people cheering us on. I even spotted fellow Stroller Warriors who came to support! With all of the chaos the first few miles just went by.

We started up the outside of Diamond Head and spotted the first place person was passing us on the other side! (That was about mile 8 or 9 for me)

Mile 15ish

The rain and wind were not a good combination. By mile 13 I did not feel like running in it anymore. Peoples hats were flying off, and our shoes were heavy and soaked. My ankles were feeling the strain from the extra weight of my shoes. I was defiantly feeling down in the dumps until I saw three of my fellow stroller warriors, one (Jessica Argo) came over and grabbed my hand. BTW she was already at like mile 20 at that point. Those ladies are no joke BAMR's.

At the 25k mark I stopped and rang out all of the water out of my socks (It was a nice relief). I started off running again.

Then out of the blue, I spotted my family in the car. I hope they didn't see but I am pretty sure I put on a ugly cry face. It helped me push through the next bit. I saw them two more times and it was an awesome feeling. They supported me every step of the way, and brought Lucy. (Oh I forgot to mention my husband was gone on the Submarine so his brother and wife looked after Lucy for me).

It was a big deal to me that Lucy was there. She sat through most of my training in the stroller. Her longest ride being 13.5 miles. She had to deal with early morning wake ups for the 6 races I did before the marathon. She was there through the good, bad, and ugly. I didn't want to give up because I knew she would be watching me. She is what always keeps me going every day.

Me and my baby girl.

Between the first time I saw them and the last my friend Cheryl found me and ran with me for the next few miles. She really kept me going and it was nice to have someone to talk to. We split at mile 22 at a water station.

The last 4.2 miles were not easy. The one thing that did help is that I have done 4 races on that last stretch so I knew what I was in for.

Right before the finish line I spotted my family again. I couldn't believe that I was about to cross the finish line. The relief that swept over my body was unreal. I actually felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. All of those early morning wake ups, not going to Friday night parties, the sore muscles, planning my life around this thing.- I WAS DOING IT, COMPLETING IT. I had been preparing for this day for what felt like forever, and it was over.

Although I did not get the time I had hoped for I am still extremely proud of my self. I actually set out to do something that a lot of people only dream of doing and finished. It wasn't as hard as I had hyped it up to be in my head. But it was just as rewarding and life changing. 6:56:54

Now that my marathon high has ran off (get it ran hehe) I am left  with the question- What to do now?? I am really looking forward to see what the NEW YEAR will bring. I can't wait to tackle something else.


REMEMBER IF YOU LIKE MY BLOG CLICK THE TOP MOMMY BLOGGER BUTTON AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

Darcy

Mizuno Val Nolasco Half Marathon.

Yesterday morning I woke up refreshed and not thinking anything of the race. Perhaps it was because I haven't been focused on this race. In fact I have barely thought about it, which led me to fall asleep with ease the night before. The only thing that constantly reminded me of it is my girl friends who were training like mad men.

 This race to me was just another long run 

Before the race!

After that was me telling them to hurry so I could go poop.

Amy was a paparazzi and the finish line.

Jenise doesn't even look like she just ran 13.1 miles

Bib pick up selfie.

that I needed to complete for marathon training. 

I wasn't excited about it at all. I have been dreading all of my long runs, and wanted training to be over. 

When we started the race I waited for a friend and we started out together. This was her first race and she was excited. I met up with several people ahead of time, three of them were first timers. The energy they put off made me excited. 

During the race I ran with two girls that I know from Stroller Warriors on and off. (We yo-yo'd with each other). A few friends passed me on the turn around and I cheered them on like they were rock stars (because duh they are). Having so many people there and being able to run the whole thing with out much difficulty was nice.

Seeing them support and cheer each other on reminded me why I love running these races so much. I love the running community.

I finished at 2:40 which shaved 16 minutes off of my last half. This one was actually easier (maybe because the lack of nerves?!). 

I am looking at the rest of the training with new eyes. I feel refreshed and can't wait to do this marathon.

Darcy

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Late Post! HMSA 30k

I am going to keep this post nice and simple!

I met with two of the girls from my running group the morning of the race. They are both speed demons compared to my pace, but they stuck around with me for the first mile. For the first 13 miles I hovered around a 12-12:30 pace.

At the bib pick up in my costume for the Halloween Party!

Sandra and I after we finished.

I felt pretty good. I like taking it nice and easy. The lack of restroom caught up to be around mile 14. I had to poop. I felt like a dog sniffing out a good spot. At mile 16 I hopped a fence into a construction zone and used the porter john.

For the rest of the race I averaged 13:30 pace. The sun was up and it was pretty warm. I used all of the aid stations and honestly think I could have paced a minute faster through out the whole thing.

This time Luke missed me at the finish line.... So no finishing picture. So far this is  the LONGEST run I have ever done. I feel very accomplished and confident that I can finish the marathon!

My official finish time was 4:03.

Darcy


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Hokulani Bake Shop Hawaii 25k

Today I went for my long run (13 miles) and it dawned on me while I was thinking about my pace -

I forgot to write about my last race!

The Bake Sop 25k, on Oct. 5th.

Since its been about a week I don't feel too fresh on the subject anymore... so I will just keep it brief. I went ill prepared, I didn't really eat breakfast. Not eating breakfast lead to me to take my Rehydrate Gel in the first thirty minutes. Around mile 10 I began to crash. It was getting hot, we kept a good pace up until that point. By we I mean my new friend Amber and I. At mile 10 there was a beastly hill that shook up my self confidence and spit me out like a shell of a sunflower seed. It was gnarly.

The views were amazing which helped me try to push through. I ended up with something of a 13:30 pace by the end and was dead tired.

Amber was a sweet heart and stuck with me the whole time even though she could probably run the whole thing. I was just happy to finish and learned my lesson about not eating properly before hand (again).

Photo From Hawaii Sport Mag.

The picture above is the winner of the race... the girl with the cute butt and pink hair is me!!! My official finishing time was 3:30. I wasn't really happy about the time but I did finish a 15.5 mile race.

Lucy waiting for me to finish running.

Amber and I at the finish line.

-
Darcy

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Why we decided to wait...

With Infant & Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day right around the corner I figured I would write about something that has been weighing heavy on my heart.



The burning question of my life lately is,"When are you going to try for another baby?"


 For those of you who don't know this we lost a pregnancy on Mothers Day of this year, and it was really was emotionally devastating for our family. I had such a hard time handling the loss, we decided it would be best to wait and try again. After talking it over we decided that after the original due date, which was December 25th would be best.

I think of it as starting fresh. The old due date will be past and it will be a whole new try. No reminders from friends ( I have 4 friends on my Facebook who are due with in two weeks of my original date). I feel like or decision is what is healthiest and the best for us.

Sometimes I feel like I am expected to be over it, but guess what- I'm not. For those like me who miscarry (a term used to describe the loss of a baby before week 20), the pain can be easily dismissed by onlookers. "oh, you can try again,"you have a long life to live,"another baby will come along,"get over it, move on and try again," you may be surprised but I have heard it all.

I know that plenty of time has past. I know that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in a loss. I know that I am not alone. I know that it wasn't my fault, and that there was nothing that I could have done to prevent it. If I could snap my fingers and make it better I would, but I can't. My heart still hurts, and thats where I am at right now.




"When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them."- President Ronald Reagan. 

My daughter Lucy was so excited. 

If you have a friend who is going through a loss. Listen to them. Be there for them. Don't judge them for how they handle a loss, and defiantly don't press them to try again.

On October 15th please say a prayer and light a candle for those who have had a infant or pregnancy loss. Too many families grieve in silence.

“If everyone lights a candle at 7 p.m. and keeps it burning for at least one hour, there will be a continuous WAVE OF LIGHT over the entire world on October 15th.” (October15th.com)

We will never forget.

Darcy