My TV Debut…

Posted on March 22, 2013 | 1 Comment

OK so this morning I did something I thought I’d never do…I was on TV! We’re not talking “oh look there I am in the crowd” TV… we’re talking “interviewed for a specific segment” TV. It was an awesome experience and something totally different (however it’s still hard for me to hear my voice/watch myself on tape). This week has been “Marathon Week” on a local news show Live on Lakeside and they wanted to have me on to talk about running with Crohn’s Disease & for a cause! Points for Crohn’s advocacy and getting the word out about Team Challenge!

Happy Friday :)

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Posted in CCFA, Chicago Half Marathon, Crohn's Disease, Running

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Becoming An Early Bird

Posted on March 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

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Alright, confession time: I haven’t worked out since Saturday. Woops.

Here’s the deal (I realize that there is no excuse, but here is my “reason”). I have a totally exhausting job. Think back to college and having to give a presentation in front of a class. You put all of your energy into it and at the end, you’re so glad to be done..right? Well imagine feeling like that but doing it every day, all day. As a special education teacher, I deal with a whole lot of crazy sometimes. There are bodily fluids, meltdowns, repeated practice with very little progress, adults (all older than me) that you are in charge of, mounds of paperwork, parents, testings, meetings…do I need to keep going? Last night, I stayed at work until 7:15. The majority of the teachers at my school are out that door at 3:45. I honestly could stay there until 7 PM every day, but then I would probably quit my job and live on the streets in a cardboard box because I’d be broke. Where am I going with this again? Oh yeah…exhaustion. Well, mix this in with having an autoimmune disease that already makes you pretty darn fatigued and you get…no gym.

every. day.

every. day.

Today, I came home from work at 5:00 and quite literally passed out on the couch until 6:30. And here is where I’m stuck…how do I get myself to the gym when I can barely move from the couch?

Well, I really see only one solution here: becoming an early riser. I’ve done it a few times and I must say, it’s SO nice to have that dreaded run or workout in before the sun rises. And to be able to come home from work and fall over on my couch? Priceless.

So here we go, my mission to become an early bird. I don’t care if I get the worm, I just need to figure out how the heck to get these workouts in without passing out on the treadmill.

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Here we go, see y’all at 5 AM tomorrow. Hopefully I make it past the snooze button.

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Posted in Running, Training

Here We Go Again…

Posted on February 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

…And 5 months after falling off the face of the blogging earth, I’m back!

Not much has changed since I blogged back in September. I hadn’t really been running and am now paying the price. Can you say out of shape?

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About a month ago, I signed on for another season with Team Challenge to help raise more money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. This time last year, I found myself signing up for my first half marathon with Team Challenge Carolinas. This year, I’m back to run with them again but as a mentor with Team Challenge Northeast Ohio! We will be traveling to Chicago, IL on June 8th to run the Allstate 13.1 Half Marathon in the windy city!! I am SO excited to help raise more money for a great cause and help others do the same along the way. Plus, who doesn’t want to run along Lake Michigan in beautiful June weather?!

Last Saturday kicked off our first of many group training runs. Our team coaches have our first few group runs set up as amounts of time, and then switching to mileage. On Saturday, we ran in the chilly (understatement) weather for 45 minutes. One word describes this comeback run: strugglebus. Not only was it a little rough, but I also somehow managed to get LOST. How does that happen? Luckily, I had my phone on me and one of our coaches answered my call and gave me directions to get me back on track. Note to self: next time, take the map.

To keep myself accountable, I’m going to start posting my weekly workout goals and keeping track of the progress!

Week of February 25th:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 3 Mile Run/Core

Wednesday: 1 Hour Body Power Class

Thursday: 3 Mile Run

Friday: 1 Hour Spin Class or Rest

Saturday: 50 Minute Run

Sunday: Rest

Here we go, half marathon round 2!

If you’d like to learn more about Team Challenge, CCFA, or why I’m running this next 13.1, visit my fundraising page here:  


http://www.active.com/donate/chicagoNOH13/kayla

 

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Posted in CCFA, Chicago Half Marathon, Crohn's Disease, Running, Training

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Back At It! Part II

Posted on September 19, 2012 | 2 Comments

Let’s cut to the chase: I haven’t been doing a whole lot of running.

I haven’t blogged in about 2 months. In those 2 months, I could count on my 10 little fingers the number of times I’ve run. But I’m declaring it now: I’m back.

It’s been a crazy couple of months in life. Between moving out of an apartment, living on couches, making the move from NC back to Ohio, living out of boxes until I finally found a place to call home, I’ve been a little busy. Add in a completely new school, new kiddos, new paperwork, and a whole lotta crazy in the life of Kayla, and I haven’t exactly made time for myself the way I was when I was still living in NC.

Instead of running, I’ve been doing a whole lot of this…

and this…

…and spending a whole lot of time in this!

 

Now that I’m about a month into the school year and things are finally becoming a little less stressful, I’m ready to jump back in…head first!

In less than 2 months I’ll be toeing the starting line at the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon with two girlfriends. I have some hard work ahead to get myself back into half marathon shape before this race creeps up on me.

DISNEY WORLD!!!

But before I even touch down in warm and sunny Florida, I’ll be running in a race in less than 2 weeks!

I’ll be running in my very first relay!! 4 friends & I are going to be running as team “You Look Like I Need A Drink” and running the 26.2 miles in Akron as a group. I am OVERLY excited about this, but a little nervous about the 7.5 miles I have ahead of me. I know I still have the mileage in me, it’s just a little daunting after very little time spent on my feet. But I said I was jumping in head first, right?!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot one tiny little piece of important information…

WHAT DID YOU DO KAYLA?!?

Yep, that happened. Sometimes I get a little ambitious when I have too much free time on my hands, which may or may not have happened before I started back at work.

But I am SO EXCITED! A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined running a 5k. Now, I’m anticipating training for my very first (and possibly only, if I die on the course as expected) marathon starting in January! I have a few friends that have signed up to run the marathon as well, which gives me a little more peace of mind come crazy long runs & race day in May.

So here I go, right back into half marathon training & soon after I’ll be found on the streets of Cleveland for hours on Saturday mornings, hopefully with most of my toenails intact.

 

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Posted in Racing, Running, Training, Uncategorized

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