Run the World

My race is over… now what?

Your big event is over. Maybe it was a vacation you long awaited. Maybe you planned a wedding for the last 14 months (the average length of an engagement). Or maybe, in this case, that big race you trained for 3-4 months has come and gone.

I’ve always liked having things on my calendar to look forward to. Planning for them. Anticipating them. Adding and checking things off the to-do list. A race is no different. I choose an event, then a training plan. I make time in my schedule. I train and record – what worked and what didn’t – in my training log. I work my butt off (well, not literally). I show up race morning with anxiety & nervous energy. I have fun and do my best.

And then, just like that, its over.

So now what?

After the Cap City Half last Saturday, I enjoyed a beautiful Sunday relaxing with family, reminiscing through my iPhone gallery and browsing all the race photos filling my Instagram feed. Recap on that, coming soon!

Then Monday came and I was like, “So… what’s next?”

We have a few smaller races on the calendar, some family vacations planned (woohoo!) and an upcoming wedding for some dear friends… but not having a BIG, distance race to work towards leaves me feeling a tad off fitness-wise. So I texted & emailed some run buddies, posted to a few running groups on FB, spent time Googling terms like “best destination races,” dreamed about doing a destination race, analyzed my budget (hello Personal Finance!), bothered my husband… and on and on.

Without much progress being made, the jury is still out. I’m not sure what 2018 or even 2019 has in store for my personal fitness goals. Maybe I’ll knock state #10 off the half marathon bucket list? Get stronger & faster… and strive for a new PR? Attempt my first relay or pump & run or duathlon… or dare I say triathlon? Or perhaps I’ll end up doing the Emerald City or Columbus Marathon races again, they are great ones!

I know I’ll soon have a plan and yet another fun fitness/running event to look forward to. Until then, I’ll continue to research and dream.

What are your running goals for the rest of this year and beyond?

Are you making time to dream, plan and pursue?

We’d love to hear from you!

Living Fit Beach Side // Puerto Rico 2017

We took a family trip to Puerto Rico this past spring break and absolutely LOVED it. The sun, the sand, the hispanic culture, the views and activities in Old San Juan… such great adventures and memories!

We typically use Lisa from Creative Vacations for our “bigger” trips including this one, our honeymoon to Riviera Maya, Mexico & our last family trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Using a trusted travel agent can help make sure you’re staying in safe locations, give you lots of travel tips you may not think of, arrange reliable transportation and more! Lisa helped us find the most beautiful resort and as loyal Marriott customers, we booked the San Juan Marriott Resort. My mom spoiled us and upgraded our rooms to ocean view so we spent many mornings drinking coffee from our balcony and it was an added benefit to have during the baby’s nap time.

Per usual as fitness lovers and bloggers, we made sure to incorporate exercise into our week! Not only are long runs and bike rides great ways to see new places, they make for adventurous memories! Whenever I’m traveling over spring break, it seems I’m training for a half marathon… this year we are preparing for the Kentucky Blue Grass half and needed to get in 10 miles, which we did! Below is a quick recap of our weekly adventures, mostly in pictures… aren’t they worth 1,000 words anyhow?

8 mile bike ride to Old San Juan (with yoga stops, of course!)

Hiking at the rainforest, El Yunque

#stopdropandyoga with the kids

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10 mile long run to Old San Juan (with water breaks & yoga stops)

Top five things we loved:

Tons of options for fitness including bike rentals (we got ours directly from the Marriott), running paths, hiking and more
The gorgeous blue water and breathtaking coastal views
The location of the Marriott and walking distance to shops, restaurants and tons of things to do
Old San Juan – history, shopping, views, activities

Things we didn’t love:

The traffic coming home from the Rainforest – there was a World Baseball Classic going on and it took us HOURS to get back to the hotel
At the time of this trip, all-inclusive options were not available

My mom lived in Puerto Rico for five years as a kid and is fluent in Spanish so it is always fun to come here (this was my second time visiting). It is an amazing destination and we’ll definitely be back someday!

**Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own

Living Fit Beach Side // Hilton Head + National Running Day!

Today is the first Wednesday of June which makes it National Running Day! Make sure you strap up those laces and get out for a run… or maybe a barefoot run/walk on the beach if you’re on vacation like us 🙂 Our little guy keeps running circles in the sand, getting enough exercise for all of us.

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We’ve been loving this trip for so many reasons. HHI is a gorgeous island on the coast of South Carolina and is often referred to as “America’s Favorite Island.” There is so much to see and do here! We rented a beach house at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort with extended family and it was PERFECT for having an almost-18-month-old. You could go to the beach in a matter of seconds without having to load up the car and you could easily go back to the house when the toddler melt down kicked in and nap time was evident! We were very pleased with the clean community, which had several pools, and would go back again.

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The week was full of a tiny bit of relaxation and down time, but mostly activity and adventure. Between the seven of us we flew kites, played volleyball, went running, rode bikes, collected shells, took long beach walks, golfed and tried various water activities. I guess we wanted to see how much we could cram into one week! Fitness + Travel Blog Hilton Head - 4

My sister-in-law, Carrie, has me loving yoga lately and I did my first ever beach yoga session! We used beach towels as a mat and although the flow was a little slower than I’m used to, I really enjoyed it. The sound of the waves was almost meditative and I look forward to doing beach yoga along more coasts!

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When we got back to the beach house, Carrie made sure to squeeze in some more #stopdropandyoga and even got the little guy involved! 🙂

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Since we had the whole Gellenbeck crew together, it was essential to get some family beach photos. We got dressed in coordinating coastal colors, scurried out at sunset and were able to get some great shots to capture the memories. Fitness + Travel Blog Hilton Head Family - 12

Although we made so many great memories, the highlight of the trip was definitely the big “proposal!” Jake asked Carrie to be his wife… and she said yes! 🙂 I was lucky enough to be a part of the process and was secretly hiding in the sand dunes to capture the whole thing on camera. Yay for a new family member and brother-in-law! Guess we may not be coming back next summer… because now we have a wedding to plan! Fitness + Travel Blog Hilton Head (20)