Kim be nimble, Kim be quick...

Kim be nimble, Kim be quick...
Remember that nursery rhyme about a little guy named jack? Well, I don't have any lighted candles to clear, but plenty of "fires" to tackle this spring.....



First off, let's talk about February.

If I were to assign grades to my various February goals:
Daily Cardio -A
Daily Push-ups (25) -A
Legs 2X/week -C+
Abs 3X/week -B

Over all, I'm okay with everything. I didn't do the legs/abs exercises as much as I should have, but I certainly did more than usual. I know, I know.... if we make the commitment to doing something, we'll find a way to get it done, Right? Well, not always. Even doing the legs/abs stuff roughly every-other day, there were still some days when I totally forgot to do them...so I had to get out of bed and hit the floor for a few minutes before "lights-out." (of course, there were several days when I didn't remember until the NEXT day....) #whoops

Moving on...

What's on tap for March? Well, I have a marathon to train for (Grandma's Marathon, June 17th), and March will be the grand "official" kick-off of said training. I have a couple of 10K's and a 10-mile race to usher in the beginning of double digit (weekend) runs. I'm still fine-tuning the weekly mileage goals and workouts, but I have most of the long runs figured out and committed to paper.

A big part of marathon training is the mileage, but an even bigger component (in my opinion) is the non-running activity...namely physical therapy and cross-training.  I plan to spend March focusing on daily "conditioning" to get these habits established.

This list of goals isn't inclusive...I'll still be doing my daily planking, push-ups, and plan to add wall squats as well. The daily goals (above) are meant to strengthen my known "weak" areas (the glutes and hips) as well as give my legs a bit of strength work. These exercises are not only great "maintenance" moves, but they also can be used for warm-up and cool-down.

Last of all, shall we talk about my racing schedule? There are several events on my calendar already, and a few will be added as the registrations become available. There may even be a few random 5K's thrown in for good measure. Here's what's happening so far...

March 4....an unknown 10K (the hubby is taking me on a trip to an unknown destination). Stay tuned.
March 11...Leprechaun Chase 10K Des Moines, IA
March 18...Wintrust Lakefront 10-miler (also a 5K) Chicago, IL
April 9...Fight for Air Climb Des Moines, IA
May 7...Des Moines Women's Half Marathon (also a 5K) Des Moines, IA
May 14...Market to Market Relay (central Iowa)
June 3...Dam to Dam Half Marathon (also a 5K) Des Moines, IA (registration opens March 15)
June 17 Grandma's Marathon Duluth, MN

As you can tell, I have a lot happening in the next few months. It will be a juggling act maneuvering all of the necessary training into a workable format to accommodate all of these events. But you know what?  That's what makes it fun! As I have mentioned in previous posts, my main focus for 2017 is to have fun (and stay injury-free). None of these events are being run for PR's, nor will I be training for PR's either. Often times, the PR's happen all on their own...you know, when the moons, stars and planets align (and you're blessed with perfect race day conditions).

So, talk to me.....How did February play out for you?  Have you set any goals for March? Do you have a lot of races already on your spring/summer/fall calendar?

I'm linking up with a few awesome gals with this post. I invite you to stop by each of their blogs (and link-ups) and enjoy some great reading!

***Marcia and Patty and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run

*** Deb for the Wednesday Word (the word is nimble) and also for the Race Link-Up.

*** Susie and Rachel and Debbie and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner