I’ve never used a planner before but this year I ordered the Passion Planner to give it a try. I need to organize my brain and as much as I would like to do it through my phone and the computer I’ve found that I need a paper and pen approach.

I began switching over my 2015 calendar and adding items into my planner before 2016 started. A planner is so much more than a calendar because instead of just keeping dates it gives me space for my goals, to-do lists, meal planning and more.

This planner also has blank pages in the back and grid pages as well. I’ve found that it’s very handy to keep lists and information that I access a lot throughout the year on these pages. So far I have my 2015 Christmas list (so I can remember what I purchased!), a spot for my 2016 Christmas list, a birthday list for the year, my 2016 reading list, and some pages dedicated to my Wildtree business. There’s still a lot of extra space to add things throughout the year too!

As I have been using my planner I’ve come up with a few tips that may help you as you are deciding to write your life down in a planner.

• Make goals. Actually writing out goals helps you to figure out what is important to you and what you want to make time to accomplish. We can’t do everything so a little planning and some goals can help you decide what is most important in your life.
• Look at it every day. This one is an important tip that some people overlook. I plan my month and week out but I still look at my planner several times throughout the day. I add activities that I have done, cross items off my to-do list and write down what we actually ate for dinner.
• Meal Plan. I have a list for the week going on a different calendar (one that has a magnet on the back that I can hang up to reference throughout the week) but in my planner I write out what we have actually eaten for dinner. This helps tremendously as I meal plan because I can look back on past meals and what we haven’t eaten for awhile. I also make notes on how it tasted so I know if I should make it again!
• Star items that have been completed. An example of this is my running schedule. At the beginning of the week I write down the days that I want to run and then once I have done the run I go back and put a big star by it.
• Make it fun. I doodle and use colorful pens in my planner. I thought that I would want everything color coded (different colors for the kids activities, meal planning, exercise, Wildtree events, etc.) but I ended up just liking a variety of colors on all the pages. I also haven’t invested in stickers or washi tape but I know there are a lot of options out there to make your planner colorful.

5 Tips for Using a Planner in your Daily Life #passionplanner #organization
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My planner also keeps me accountable. I have several things that I like to do daily (like 20 minutes of reading or 5 minutes of tackling paper items) and I can cross them off when I finish that task each day. Is it strange that one of my goals each day is to read for 20 minutes? I’m telling you, if I don’t schedule it in these days it doesn’t get done!

The one thing holding me back from using a planner before was that I didn’t think I had time to do it! The opposite has actually happened though. Instead of wasting time figuring out what I need to do each day it’s all right there in front of me and I can just jump in when I have an extra 5 minutes here and there. I’ve gotten so much more accomplished in little bursts that it makes the small amount of time I’ve taken to write it all down very worth it.

This particular planner is so versatile and I’m very happy with my purchase. I’m telling you all about it because I’m loving it so much and not because I’m receiving any compensation at all from the folks over at Passion Planner.

Do you use a planner?

Are you a paper and pencil type or do you depend on electronics?

Related posts:

1. Happy 2016!
2. Hello 2015!

Running

I miss running consistently but it is slowly coming back to me after the birth of my daughter in October. Setting running goals and competing in challenges is very motivating and helps me wake up in the morning. My biggest hurdle for these goals is being able to get my run in every day. It’s tricky to balance the timing of heading out for an early morning run and nursing a baby. I’m taking a no excuses approach to my running goal unless my baby girl needs to nurse. That’s obviously more important!

• Goal 1: Run Consistently. Strive for 5 runs per week. Work up to about 30 miles per week.
• Goal 2: Strength Train Regularly. Strive for at least 2 times per week.
• Goal 3: Sign up for races or challenges. Having a race on the calendar or needing to hit a certain amount of miles for #Challengeville is highly motivating.
• Goal 4: Eat Healthy Real Food. This goes hand in hand with my running goals for the year.

Healthy Food | Real Food

I’ve been a Wildtree Representative for several months now and I can’t say enough good things about the company. The food is fantastic. It’s made with the finest natural and organic ingredients available. What I put on the table for my family is important for our health and I enjoy helping other families put healthy food on their table as well.

• Goal 1: Menu Plan. Each week I’m planning on sharing my menu plan with you. I’ve been really good at planning out the week for us at home but I’m hoping that sharing it with you will help to give you some ideas on what to fix for dinner.
• Goal 2: Organize Our Pantry. My goal in this area is to organize the pantry so it’s easier to get to the healthy food that I want our family to eat. Hopefully this is a short term goal and I can get it finished in January!
• Goal 3: Eat a Variety of Food. I love when my kids try something new and like it! Trying new recipes exposes the kids (and us!) to different flavors and we’ve already found a lot that we enjoy. The photo below is from Wildtree’s Thai Green Curry that we made a few days ago. A completely new recipe and so delicious!

Reading

Reading is so relaxing for me and my TBR (to be read) list is growing every day. When there is so much to be done every day it’s hard to get in reading unless I make it a priority. That’s why it’s one of my goals this year.

• Goal 1: Read 24 books in 2016
• Goal 2: Read for at least 20 minutes. Every. Single. Day.

Family

Family is last on the list here but most important overall! My main goal for the year is to concentrate on spending quality time together. More game nights, more stories, more pretend play.

What's your top goal for the year? Check out these Running, Reading, Food & Family Goals for…
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So that’s it. Those are my goals for the year. I look at this list and all together it looks a little overwhelming along with all my daily responsibilities. But I have a plan to fit it all in and I’m sharing that with you next week!

Have a great weekend!

What is your top goal for the year?

Do you set aside time to do something fun for yourself, like reading?

Related posts:

1. Running, Reading, Food and Family Goals for 2016

Happy New Year!

2015 was a crazy year with not a lot of running (or energy!) for me. My last post announced that we were expecting our fourth child and the pregnancy was exhausting and filled with challenges. I only ran through 21 weeks of my pregnancy and it wasn’t as often as I would have liked. Now, at 11 weeks postpartum, I’m just starting to feel the motivation to start consistent running again. That’s a long time away and it’s kinda like starting all over again. Every run is tough. Every run is slow. Every run is short.

But I’m doing it and I know that it will get easier the more I do it and eventually I’ll get back to my pre-pregnancy fitness level.

So let me introduce you to our little baby girl…

Our Baby A was born on October 15th and entered the world in quite a dramatic way. The abbreviated version is that shortly before our little girl was born we found out that she would need heart surgery very soon after birth. We had to leave for Colorado with just a couple of days notice so that I could deliver in a hospital where she would be able to have the surgery that she needed.

She had the surgery when she was 5 days old. It was the longest 6(ish) hours of my life! I may at some point share her birth and surgery story but for now I’ll let you know that the surgery was a complete success. Our Baby A is a healthy and thriving baby girl!

She’s 11 weeks old now and her smiles are the best! The older kids have all fallen in love with her and it is so sweet to watch them with their baby sister.

Today I’m just checking in but next week I’ll be back with some of my goals for the year and I’ll give an update on my plans for A Mother’s Pace in 2016.

Happy 2016!

Oh, boy. I look back on my last post and I can’t believe that it’s been so long since I have disappeared. But there is a reason and I figured it was time to finally share it with you.

Our big news is that Little E is going to be a Big Sis. Baby #4 will be arriving in late October!

I’m currently in the middle of week 13, right at the end of the first trimester and has it ever been a rough one. Nausea and exhaustion basically have taken over my life and I’m not even accomplishing the regular day to day activities that I need to do so this blog took the back seat.

Not only did my blog stop but my running came to a screeching halt as well. The last time I ran was several weeks ago and it was tough to get through because of the nausea. I’m hoping that with the end of the first trimester arriving soon that I will be back out there running again. I miss it terribly and I feel more like ‘me’ when I’m running.

I can’t say that I’m going to write much over the next few months as I make my way through this pregnancy but I may find I want to write more once I start running again. I am still posting pictures over on Instagram so be sure to keep in touch with me over there.

Pretty soon we will be a family of 6!

Who doesn’t love a s’more? Of course the example online was a little fancier than mine but this will work just fine for us!

Last week was a great week of running and probably my highest mileage since marathon training in the fall. 25.5+ miles of running with two beautiful runs outside. It warmed up toward the end of the week here which was just in time to get some outside running in over the weekend. I’m thinking of switching my 2 non-running days to week days so I can get out more on the weekends in the fresh air.

Clear blue skies on a warm winter run outside just can’t be beat. I’m completely ready for spring now with this little taste of warmth!

Weekly Workouts

Monday: 3 miles (9:28 pace) + 15 minutes Kettlebells & Core Work + 15 minutes Relaxation Yoga

The treadmill, kettlebells bright and early in the morning and relaxation yoga with my husband in the evening.

Tuesday: 5 miles (9:03 pace) + 15 minutes Relaxation Yoga

My 5 by the 5th virtual race. (read about it —->here) A 5k with a warm up and cool down to make 5 miles even.

Wednesday: 1 mile (8:35 pace) + 30 minutes Spin Bike + 30 minutes Strength Circuit

I started with a warm up on the spin bike then moved right into a Jillian Michaels strength circuit that I have. The circuit has me on and off the treadmill and so I clocked a mile on my ‘rest’ day. Oops! Then I hoped back on the spin bike to cool down before foam rolling a little bit.

Thursday: 4  miles (9:13 pace)

I was dreaming of warmer weather on my treadmill run this morning. As much as I’m extremely happy that I own a treadmill, I’m ready for spring and early morning running outside again!

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 9.03 miles (10:06 pace)

A long run on a beautiful and sunny day. I felt slow today and my legs were heavy but it felt great to be outside.

Sunday: 3.5 miles (9:54 pace)

An afternoon neighborhood run in the 70’s today. It was almost too warm. Almost. Shorts in February are fantastic!

Weekly Run This Year Update

My goal for the year is to race shorter distances but I’m going to Run This Year again in 2015! I’ve signed up for the ‘Run all year and win prizes option’ Ha! I’m probably not going to make it past 2,015 kilometers like I did last year but I’m still hoping to get a lot of miles in throughout the year! 2,015 KM is 1,252.06 miles or just 104.34 miles each month.

Weekly Running Miles: 25:53

February Running Miles: 25:53

2015 Running Miles: 130.29

2015 Running Kilometers: 209.68

Related posts:

1. St. Patrick’s Day Party and Run Race Recap 2014
2. April #5bythe5th Virtual Race
3. 2014 Prairie Fire Spring Half Marathon Race Recap

A year ago when I ran the 5 by the 5th virtual race I ran my 5k personal best at 24:38 which is an 8:03 pace. I call this my PB instead of my PR because it wasn’t at an official race. My PR in the 5k distance is 25:38 as of last May at one of our local 5k races.

Initially when I thought about this virtual race series I wanted to improve my 5k time from last year but running 3.1 miles at that pace is very intimidating to me right now. Instead I’m deciding to do my best for the fitness that I am right now and try and improve on that over the next couple months of the series.

That makes much more sense, right?

One resource that I will reference throughout the next few months is Tina Muir’s guest post over at Laura’s blog called How to Train for a Faster 5k. Tina, an elite runner that also blogs over at Fuel Your Future with Tina Muir, shared five workouts for a faster 5k. Perfect timing!

So how did my first 5 by the 5th race of 2015 go? Ugh, it was hard and not as fast as I wanted but it gives me a good baseline as to how I want to improve over the next few months.

I ran the 5k during the week in the morning which meant that it was on the treadmill. As much as I would prefer to run these virtual races out on the street I am not running outside in the early morning right now mainly because of the darkness. So I hit the treadmill instead.

I ran a mile warm up in 9:32. Stopped for a drink of water. (I’m not coordinated enough to drink water from a water bottle on the treadmill. Maybe a bottle with a straw would be easier?) Then started back up for the 5k. I started at 7.0 speed on my ‘mill, which is an 8:34 pace. Ideally, this was the pace that I wanted to hold for the entire 3.1 miles.

That didn’t happen.

After about a mile in I had to slow it down. I punched in 6.5 (9:14 pace) and held that for awhile before jumping back up to 7.0. I did this back and forth pace for the remainder of the run except in the last quarter mile I pushed the pace up to 7.5 (8:00 pace) for a strong finish.

After I finished the 5k, I started my cool down. In total I ran 5 miles with an average pace of 9:03.

It completely showed on this run that I haven’t done any formal speed work since training for the Chicago Marathon. Yikes! Of course I’ve done an occasional fartlek workout or 400 repeats here and there but this run has convinced me to add it into my weekly rotation!

 Are you participating in the 5 by the 5th virtual race? Do you run speed work every week?

#5bythe5th Virtual Race Recap! | A Mother's Pace #runchat
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Before starting the program I was doing strength workouts 2 or 3 times a week. I varied my workouts and basically picked from 5 or 6 favorite workouts from magazines, Pinterest or books that I have purchased in the past.

Quick Strength for Runners by Jeff Horowitz (affiliate link) starts with a couple of chapters on why strength training is important and highlights some tools that are helpful to get you started but not necessary, in my opinion. You can make due with what you have in your home gym, if needed.

Next the book describes all the exercises in the program. It shows multiple pictures and a clear description of the exercise including an advanced form. I didn’t completely read this section but I would reference it often when I had a question about a certain workout. It was very helpful to have all of these exercises listed out where I could easily flip to the page to see how to do the exercise correctly.

The book then shifts to the actual 8 week program. Because of my strength training base it seemed really easy at the beginning and I ran through most of the workouts in the beginning twice to make the workout work for me. But I certainly didn’t do that all throughout the book. At some point each workout ended up taking me about 30 minutes without repeating anything.

Because of the easiness of the first workouts I think this would be a great program for a beginner to strength training. You can always repeat a week if something is too difficult later in the workouts. At the same time I think that this program works well for someone like me that has a strength training base but likes having someone else put together a program.

Now that I’m finished with the 8 week program I’m thinking of taking a couple of weeks off from the moves in the book and going back to my favorite workouts that I’ve given up for the past two months. Then I plan on incorporating one workout from this book, one core workout and one of my standards each week.

I really like the progression of the workouts in the sessions and I like knowing that it was made specifically with a runner in mind. I feel stronger since I’ve started the program and a lot of the exercises feel a little easier than the first time I tried them.

I purchased Quick Strength for Runners myself and wanted to share my thoughts on the book with you. I don’t have any connection to the book or author other than the fact that I liked it and wanted to share.

Oh, if you’re interested in some of my strength workouts that I’ve done other than this book, check out my Strength Workouts Pinterest page.

Have you tried Quick Strength for Runners? Do you strength train regularly?

What do you use as a guide?

I was really hoping to get out more last week and enjoy some warmer weather that we were having but it didn’t happen. The wind was strong and the early morning weather didn’t end up being so great but I did have one evening run that was fantastic outside. It just makes me want spring to arrive quickly! Groundhog day is this week so we shall see!

The Run This Year crew is putting on an Instagram challenge. Last time they hosted a challenge I ‘met’ a ton of people and even won a prize! Anyone can participate so find Run This Year on Instagram for the prompts each day if you would like to play along.

Alright, keep reading below to see how my workouts went last week to finish up the first month of the year.

Weekly Workouts

Monday: 3 miles (9:31 pace) + 15 minutes Core Work

A treadmill workouts with a break for some core work in the middle.

Tuesday: 4.01 miles (9:54 pace)

I overslept this morning but it paid off in the end. It turned out to be a beautiful day and I was able to squeeze in a beautiful run outside as the sun went down.

Wednesday: 30 minutes Spin Bike + 30 minutes Quick Strength for Runners

Thursday: 3 miles (9:27 pace)

This was a mentally tough run on the treadmill. I thought it would never end but it only lasted 28 minutes.

Friday:  4 miles (9:28 pace) + 20 minutes QSFR #16

Much better today and I passed 100 miles so far for the year today! I also finished the Quick Strength for Runners program and I hope to get my thoughts out about it this week.

Saturday: 4 miles (9:16 pace)

I just did a 4 mile run today because I wanted to meet my goal for the month. 104 miles…check!

Sunday: Rest

Weekly Run This Year Update

My goal for the year is to race shorter distances but I’m going to Run This Year again in 2015! I’ve signed up for the ‘Run all year and win prizes option’ Ha! I’m probably not going to make it past 2,015 kilometers like I did last year but I’m still hoping to get a lot of miles in throughout the year! 2,015 KM is 1,252.06 miles or just 104.34 miles each month.

Weekly Running Miles: 18.01

January Running Miles: 104.76

2015 Running Miles: 104.76

2015 Running Kilometers: 168.59

I’m happy to say that my number one dream race has already been accomplished. The Chicago Marathon was at the top of the list and it was crossed off in October.

I’m in no rush to run another marathon (I’m waiting until the kids are a little older!)  but the key word in this activity was DREAM. These are the races that if the stars aligned I would love to one day experience!

[one] New York City

New York is the marathon that I see as possibly my next big marathon I try to enter. Especially after running Chicago last year, I’m sure that New York is one big party on marathon day just like Chicago. I love traveling to New York and running in Central Park and this would be a unique way to see all five boroughs on foot.

[two] Boston

In order to run Boston I would have to get super speedy, train hard and qualify first with a 42 minute PR. Then I would have to get accepted. It’s not that it’s out of the question (I set a PR by 40 minutes in Chicago) but it’s definitely something that would take dedication and hard work. So, I’m not chasing this dream any time soon, if at all, but it is on the list.

[three] Siesta Key

Siesta Key, Florida is heaven on earth and to run this half marathon in such a beautiful location would make it all the more special for me. And as a bonus I could eat crab legs at Captain Curt’s as my post race meal!

[four] Paris

Visiting Paris has been a dream of mine even before I started running races. So it’s not surprising at all that the Paris Marathon is on my list. I’ve always wanted to photograph the bridges on the Seine River and this trip would cover both of these bucket list items.

[five] Big Sur

I’ve heard that this is one of the most breathtaking courses in our country and I hope to find out one day just how beautiful it is. I think this would be a race to enter with no time goal so that I could just soak up the scenery and enjoy the race.

Confession: I hate to fly. On my last flight home from New York City probably 3.5 years ago I had a panic attack and just about lost it. I used to fly all the time and had no problem with it at all. Maybe it has something to do with having children??? But after that flight I am scared to get on a plane and have it happen again. It was horrible.

See the problem with my dream races above? I live in Kansas and it would be a pain (if not impossible) to drive to all of these places. Just one of the reasons why traveling to a race is a challenge for me but I’m sure I’ll have to be on an airplane at some point anyway. Ugh, just thinking about it makes my palms sweat…

What are your dream races? Anyone else afraid to fly?

Related posts:

1. Sneaking in Extra Miles
2. Audrey Love Plus My Weekly Training Log
3. Running with a Plan in Mind

It’s not always easy to wake up early and a lot of the time I want to roll over and turn off the alarm clock BUT I always feel better after getting in my workout of the day.

The question this week is Why. Why have I chosen to live with No Excuses? The answers are pretty simple but at the same time huge because they are very important to me.

• I feel better when I’m active.
• As a busy mom with three children, exercising has become my ‘me’ time.
• I want to be a positive role model for my children. I encourage them to make healthy choices including being active.
• I make healthier choices throughout the day when I exercise. This includes drinking enough water. I notice that when I start the day out drinking during my run it usually continues throughout the day.
• I feel stronger when I am strength training regularly. I feel like I can keep up with my kids better.

I’m sure I could keep going with this list but I’ll end it there!

This week I also want to send a special shout out to my SweatPink sister, Annmarie over at The Fit Foodie Mama. She’s an inspiring mama of two girls who finds the time to create delicious meals that she shares on her blog. I know because I’ve made several of her recipes! She also is always doing something fun and unique in her home gym and definitely takes the No Excuses theme to heart as she runs and gets her strength workouts in every week. If you are needing motivation or simply want to follow someone inspirational check out her Instagram feed.

And now for my weekly workouts update. It’s the fourth week in 2015 and my miles are close to my 104 mile goal for January!

Weekly Workouts

Monday: 3.5 miles (9:27 pace) + 35 minutes Quick Strength for Runners #13

A treadmill run split in half with my strength workout in the middle.

Tuesday: 60 minute Spin Bike

Random climb intervals in my workout today.

Wednesday: 5 miles (9:04 pace)

This treadmill run was mentally tough to get into. I kept trying to talk myself out of running but stuck with it in the end.

Thursday: 3.5 miles (9:15 pace) + 25 minutes QSFR #14

I broke up my run with the strength workout again. It’s one of my favorite ways to mix running and strength.

Friday: 3.1 miles (9:19 pace)

I played around with the buttons a lot on this treadmill run. Jumping up and down between 6.3 and 7 kept me a little distracted.

Saturday:  Rest

Sunday: 6.5 miles (9:23 pace)

I was really (really, really) hoping for an outside run on the weekend but I chose the treadmill over 45 mph wind gusts.

Weekly Run This Year Update

My goal for the year is to race shorter distances but I’m going to Run This Year again in 2015! I’ve signed up for the ‘Run all year and win prizes option’ Ha! I’m probably not going to make it past 2,015 kilometers like I did last year but I’m still hoping to get a lot of miles in throughout the year! 2,015 KM is 1,252.06 miles or just 104.34 miles each month.

Weekly Running Miles: 21.6

January Running Miles: 86.75

2015 Running Miles: 86.75

2015 Running Kilometers: 139.61