Kelly Trepp, Author

Hello bloggers, long time no see. I have neglected you, and I apologize. There have been some family health issues and with the race coming up, I have been filling all of my time with running ad family. My taper week begins now! And my first half-marathon is five days away. The weather is projected to be balmy, which is against every thing that I had planned for, but I am really looking forward to seeing the sun. I set out for my long run on Sunday, rather than Saturday, because the weather was closer to the prediction for the day of the half. I wore my Lululemon Run Inspired Crops , Under Armour Cold Gear Fitted Mock Neck Long Sleeve Shirt , my newly acquired SPI belt , and my CamelBak . I decided that the Mock Neck is not going to cut it on race day. As much as I LOVE that thing, it is not made for a 70 degree day. Hence the **Cold Gear** label . I think I will opt for my Under Armour tee shirt instead. 1 mile in, I had to pee. Apparently, using the restroom three times befor...

I was able to get back on track with my training last week, after taking a week off due to a cold and sinus problem. And it wasn't a moment too soon. There are less than three weeks until the DC Rock n Roll Half Marathon . This weekend, I decided to take it easy and hang back with my hubby for the majority of the long run. I have decided I enjoy it much more when I run in tandem with the hubster and my puppy. It was also a beautiful day. The air was crisp but the sun was warm. The brackish water of the bay smelled so fresh. The tide was out and the waves were crashing on the rocks of the jetties. In short, it was a perfect day for a run. But I digress. Here are the splits for my 11 mile run: Mile Time Best Pace 1 10:22 8:48 2 10:20 9:05 3 10:16 9:10 4 10:23 9:13 5 11:06 9:14 6 11:30 9:25 7 13:49 8:56 8 9:04 7:52 9 9:03 8:21 10 9:27 8:38 11 9:42 8:18 As you can see, we sort of fell off pace towards the middle of t...

Life has been busy. Life events, both good and bad, have been occupying my time and keeping me from blogging. Phooey! The good news is, I have been trying out new recipes and am spending more ish time in the kitchen. Hopefully I will have some recipes to share with you soon. I have missed a few of my shorter running sessions for late nights at work, but have been nailing my long runs. For those of you who follow me on Daily Mile (username: FitForLifeWife), you already know that I completed my nine mile run last weekend in 1 hour 27 minutes, with an average pace of 9:39. This past weekend, however, was a little colder, icier, wetter, etc. I was unable to take my long run outside, but I did take it downstairs, to the treadmill in my basement. Let me tell you, 10 miles is a long time to be running in place, but I did it. The hubster was downstairs playing video games while I ran, and I kept teasing him that I was going to finish 10 miles before he beat his game. And I did. My pa...

To those of you who have stuck with me through blog post frenzies and lulls, I would like to thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. I love having an outlet for writing and to have an audience, even if there's only two of you, makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I am sending you virtual hugs through your computer right now. Go on, reach out and hold it. While I was away, I was not just resting on my laurels. I did complete my 8 mile long run two weekends ago, as scheduled. It was an amazing experience. My hubby came along with me, but felt pain in his shins around 2.75 miles. He urged me to go on without him while he limped along behind. I had let him set the pace for the first two miles, but when I left him, I increased my pace drastically. I set off for the third and fourth miles at a comfortable pace, but as I turned around to head back to the truck, I felt an overwhelming urge to catch up with the hubster and finish my miles with him. As a result, I was chasing hi...

Ok, so, wow. It's been quite a while since I have posted. I fell off the wagon this weekend and took a break from running, although I did increase my mid-week distance successfully on Wednesday. Since this weekend's training only called for a 5K Race and I increased my distance last Wednesday, I do not feel entirely cheated, but I do feel like this could be the beginning of a slippery slope. It is time to get refocused! More posting, more meal planning, and more running. All of this in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!

Irony is ever present in my life. Earlier this month I posted about spreading the Treadmill Love . Well, this weekend, the treadmill and I got a whole lot closer. Typically, I reserve my treadmill for my shorter, weekday runs. I run three to four miles, three days a week on the treadmill while watching programs on my DVR. Alternatively, I normally choose to run my long runs outside on the weekends. This weekend, however, I did my seven mile run on the treadmill. **gasp** I know it sounds dreadful, and I will not lie to you, it was not the best run I have ever had. But the important thing is I completed the seven miles. And hubby was able to hang with me the whole run this time, albeit on the couch. He did hop up to hand me a banana around mile four and to write down my splits for me since I could not track them on my Garmin 305. Mile Time Best Pace 1 10:15 N/A 2 10:11 N/A 3 10:09 N/A 4 10:00 N/A 5 9:53 N/A 6 9:49 N/A 7 9:58 N/A The tot...

So I have to admit it. I am known to be a bit of a brand loyalist. When I find something that I like, a brand that produces high quality products that last with great performance, I stick with it. Thanks to a trip to the Under Armour Outlet before Christmas, and the fact that the great majority of running attire sold at our local Dick's Sporting Goods Store is Under Armour, Under Armour has become my most recent obsession. I picked up some running shorts, a tank top, and some compression shirts at the outlet on Black Friday, and have been pleased with the result. This weekend, I went to Dick's and bought some headbands; a mock neck, long sleeve, fitted performance shirt; and a super cute purple tee that was on sale. I figure if I have cute, non-running workout type clothing, I might be more motivated to do better on my cross training days. And by do better, I mean do an actual cross training workout and not just do laundry, vacuuming or house cleaning and call it cross tr...

Okay, so I admit it. I neglected the blog a bit over the holidays. I put down the computer and picked up the pie. Fortunately or unfortunately for you, I'm back and I'm better than ever! I am happy to report that although I gave up the blog for my 12 day vacation, I did not give up on running. I am very blessed to have received most of the gifts on my wish list from a handful of friends and family, which kept me motivated to get a couple of runs in despite the cold weather. I received two pairs of the lululemon crop pants that I had so coveted, and took each pair for a spin, sporting my Garmin 305 . Ahhh, the Garmin 305. This magical, miraculous little watch. Prior to this fabulous gift, I tracked my distance and pace using apps on my phone. I cannot tell you how many times I have dropped my phone while out on a run. It is a miracle the thing still works. Now, I can check my pace while I run, view the total time, distance and time of day, along with heart rate, ...

A year ago, I was preparing for the holiday season weighing about 15 pounds more than I currently do. I was proud of myself for having lost 15 pounds up to that point, but I knew I had a lot further to go. I did not have any set goals other than to look great on my wedding day. I modified my goals as we got closer to the big day. I focused on being fit, rather than being skinny, incorporating weight training into my everyday work outs. I decided that weight was just a number on the scale, and that I should measure my success by how I feel. Shortly after the wedding, I made a commitment to myself to push further than what I thought I was capable of and to complete a half marathon. The thought of completing a half marathon was daunting, but if I did not try, I would never know. With a few 5ks under my belt, I signed up for a half marathon and created a training schedule . With training for a half marathon, as with most things in life, you have to be prepared to adapt. For example,...

This past week has been a balancing act. Work, meals, cleaning, decorating, spreading Christmas cheer... the work is never done. I am so proud of myself and the way I have balanced all of my responsibilities, lately. I have not missed a beat with training. I am proud to report that I continue to increase my mileage and my pace on the treadmill. I completed a four mile run this weekend, which has been my longest treadmill run to date. It was a constant mental battle, but I finished, and the three miles I ran today were a breeze because of it. This week's training schedule: Now, my diet... or lack thereof ... well it is the season. But still, if you are going to consume holiday treats, you want to make sure they are worth every calorie. What follows is exactly that. A holiday treat that is worth every calorie and never fails to leave you with a smile. Consume in moderation, and at your own risk. (I have been allowing myself one, one-inch-square a day.) Creme de Menthe Brown...

I am a little late posting this week's Wednesday Weigh in. Hectic day: work, drumming up some side work, and an HOA meeting. Surprisingly enough, the HOA meeting was the highlight of the day. I came home ready to call it quits, but I had a fire burning inside me and the only way to put it out was to create a breeze by running. Okay, that was totally cheesy. And what is worse, there is no breeze when you run on a treadmill. I got all of my runs and workouts in last week until Saturday came around... This weekend was wildly busy. Hubby and I finally got to unpacking wedding gifts and rearranging our house to make room. That means lots of trips to Lowes and a trip out of town to purchase my first big girl sofa! Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Unfortunately, I did not run on Saturday as a result of all the hoopla. There was no rest, however. We put together two storage units in the basement. How did they get down there , you ask? Hubby and I carried them, then ...

With a week of moderate training, a mock Thanksgiving dinner, and 13 hours in a car over the weekend, seeing the number on the scale has not budged is a blessing. I was fully prepared for a raise in weight this week ( I say this now that I didn't have to see a raise on the scale) . Having one weekend a month to let yourself go is not the worst thing in the world. What is? Letting yourself go completely. Knowing I had an off weekend filled with holiday fun has prepared me to step up my game in training this week. Staying steady at 128 pounds is fine by me. The flab on top of the jeans that I'm starting to see creep back? Not fine. I am so ready to get my butt kicked in cross training today ( Jillian Michaels is my punishment of choice). In fact, I am looking forward to it. I ran an easy 3 miles last night. While that was great for cardio and for helping me to achieve my goal of completing a half marathon in March, I need to focus on strength training tonight. I worked har...

Over the weekend, I received an email reminder from the Rock n Roll Half Marathon that I have 19 weeks until my first half marathon. 19 weeks may seem like a long time, but since they have put a countdown on it, I am feeling the pressure! So today I have created a training calendar to keep myself and my running mate on track. Feel free to take advantage of this calendar and use it yourself, I made it public for you. How sweet of me?! This calendar is a modification of the 12 week Novice 2 schedule for half marathon training created by Hal Higdon . Since I have an extra seven weeks, I added in a few more long runs and some cross training days. I believe cross training was a big help in building my endurance when training for my 5-Ks. I will be using Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred dvd, more likely than not. It is a n ass butt kicker! You'll notice that towards the end of the training period, a 5-K race and a 10-K race are involved. We are on the lookout for races on ...

... and consideration, we are the proud owners of a brand new Livestrong LS10.0T Treadmill! Dick's Sporting Goods just opened nearby. I had already done a considerable amount of research online and review reading before heading to the store. Lucky for us, they had this beauty for an incredibly reasonable price. Fact: The Livestrong LS13.0T has a 5 inch longer track, .25 more horsepower, and 2 percent steeper incline than the LS10.0T. Another Fact: My basement is pressed for space, I can touch the ceiling at 12 percent incline and Husband is under 6 feet, so the longer track would not benefit us. Final fact: We saved $200 by not going overboard. Don't be tempted by all the bells and whistles just because they are within your reach. Be reasonable. The 10.0T does everything I want it to, and has great impact absorption (the tracks of the 10.0T and 13.0T have the same impact technology). Details: The setup was super easy. Instructions were easy to read and all of the pie...

So today I dutifully stepped on the scale, as I do most Wednesday mornings, to see that my training and hard work last week has begun to pay off. SCORE! I'm down 1.4 lbs since last week, birthday cake and all! Accountability: I wasn't entirely strict with my diet over the weekend. Birthdays are tough on the waistline. Nevertheless, keeping the sushi, hibachi, and cake to a minimum and working it into my overall daily caloric goals saved me some major disappointment on the scale. I began training for a half-marathon last week, so activity was at an all time high. Maybe not all time, but it was at the highest point since running the Warrior Dash in May. I ran the first three days of the Couch to 5K (C25K) program to ease back into running. Yesterday, I completed a 2 mile run in just under 21 minutes. Not too shabby for the first week back at it! I have to keep reminding myself not to push too hard too fast. Thankfully, my lovely lady friend who convinced me to sign u...