Health

My journey over the past 5 years has been long and hard. From the accident leaving my already damaged lungs in worse shape with a bullet hole to finally being ready to hit the roads again and start running my fitness journey has been plagued with twists and turns. The latest turn has been my obsession with virtual races. Virtual races have a lot of great benefits that allow you to make the most of your training and help you get back on track if you fell off the bandwagon with some encouragement. Why You Should Try Virtual Races If you are new to running or just want a way to have some encouragement to keep training without having to schedule your life around races in your community virtual races can be just the ticket to motivation on your time. Race on your own time. Whether you are like me and trying to fit your own health and happiness while caring for your family virtual races are great because they really can be done at your own pace and schedule. As a busy mom, I often look at races I want to do and then see they just do not fit our family schedule. Race at your own pace. If you are new to running and want to do your first race a virtual race is a great option. Most can be started and stopped as needed and if you decide to finish a race in one session you can take as long as you need to a race even a larger one like a half marathon without worrying that you won't be able to keep up with the pacer at the end. Virtual races can be completed indoors on a treadmill. If you are like me you know just how hard it is to get some really good runs in during the winter. My poor lungs hate the cold winter air but virtual races can be done inside allowing me to keep running without worrying about if the air will burn my face and my lungs. Virtual races are great for tracking your training. You can use virtual races as your pace timing events to help keep track of speed progress. Use a Virtual Race Journal to keep all of your stats and enjoy the pure joy of seeing yourself improve. Rack up the metals. Filling a race metal rack can be a lot of fun. My kids love going online with me and collecting clearance race metals to get the best deal on virtual races to do together at a great deal then filling the race metal display racks in their rooms. It is a lot of fun to run as a family and it counts as Homeschool P.E. Mental and Emotional Well-being: Running can be a powerful tool for stress relief and improving mental health. Participating in a virtual race can be a positive outlet for emotional well-being. Charitable Causes: Some virtual races are organized to raise funds for specific charities or causes. Participating in these events allows you to support a cause you care about. Motivation and Goal-setting: Signing up for a virtual race can provide a concrete goal to work towards, which can help maintain motivation and discipline in your training. Inclusivity: Virtual races often have no geographic limitations, making them accessible to people from all over the world. This inclusivity can lead to a diverse and international community of participants. With my partner for the big race being from a different state its easy for us to do virtual races together as we train. Customized Experience: You can set your own pace and choose the distance that aligns with your current fitness level or training goals. This makes virtual races suitable for beginners and seasoned runners alike. Reduced Travel and Expenses: Traditional races often involve travel, accommodation, and other associated costs. Virtual races eliminate these expenses, making them a more budget-friendly option. Safety and Convenience: Virtual races allow you to run in a familiar and safe environment, without concerns about crowded start lines or potential accidents on the course. Right now I am using Yes.Fit for most of my virtual races. When you sign up with the app and join the VIP club you can get your first reward for free. I picked the longest race they had for my reward though when I need a bit of a boost I pause that race and go do a smaller race that I can complete in one run without a reward at no extra cost. Use my referral code #PuWDjwQj to get $5 toward rewards. Week 1 Check In I have always wanted to run a marathon so when a friend nervously said she wanted to run one before her 45th birthday I got excited and told her if she would do it so will I. So now we are preparing to run the Disney Marathon in a few years which is great because we both need time to get in that kind of shape and make sure we have a great budget on hand for a trip to Disney. As this week comes to a close I am happy to say That I got to spend time with the kids running a trail loop and my husband joined me for walking another trail look and a strength training session at the local park gym. Turtle, Owl, and lamb came with me for the longest run and we even had a rabbit cross our path while jobbing home from one of the parks for our cool down. It was Turtles' 13th Birthday yesterday so my diet may have been... Lacking with those cupcakes but overall the week went absolutely amazing. Follow our Journey To Disney