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Race for the Cure 5k recap
Saturday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k on Daniel Island. It was super packed with 10,000 participants, which is awesome! I was supposed to meet up with friends from work who were running as well, and the plan was to meet in Daniel Island at 7:15. The race was supposed to start at 9:00 and I thought "Why do I need to get there so early, and on a Saturday after I worked all day Friday?!" Plus, I knew we would have to get up even earlier than normal childless people, since we would need to get Ever packed and ready to go as well.
To make a long story short, we woke up, albeit begrudgingly, at 6:15 and quickly got everyone and everything together. We drove the 30 minutes or so to the race site, and hit some major traffic! Apparently everyone in the area was running the 5k! I had no idea how big the race was! Thankfully, we made it just in time for me to find my co-workers, pick up my bib, and then wait in a forever long line at Subway to go to the bathroom. Apparently many of the participants had the pre-run jitters, and I got the pleasure of seeing it in all it's glory since the toilet was clogged. I feel really bad for the employee who is going to have to plunge...
By the time I finished waiting in line, the 9:00 start time had already passed, so my friends and I waited for the second start at 9:15. We smushed ourselves in amongst the masses, and waited for the start. It took us about two minutes to reach the start line, and then were still unable to really run at our desired paces. There were tons of people there to walk the 5k, and they all seemed to be right in front of me in an unpenetrable wall! After about a half mile of stutter-stepping and weaving through what seemed like thousands of people, I was able to hit my stride and go. As I passed the 1 mile marker, I looked down at my Polar and saw that I had finished the first mile in 9:00! This is really awesome for me, since I have been struggling to consistently maintain a 10:00-10:30/mile pace recently. The last 2.1 miles were a tad bit slower. Mile 2 was around a 9:30/mile pace, but I was still really happy with it.
I was able to run with one of my co-workers for about 75% of the race, which was awesome and super encouraging! Unfortunately, the last 25% was solo, so I had to give myself consistent pep talks. Some of them included "Only less than a mile Amber! You can do anything for less than a mile!", then there was "Come on! You're on pace to finish around 28 minutes or so!!! Think how proud you'll be to finish at that pace!". There was also a lot of competitive action going on as well. I would pick out a very fit looking person and then aim to pass them. Once I passed that person, I picked another, and so on and so forth. There was also plenty of distraction with reading people's homemade shirts and looking at all the beautiful houses we passed by.
Once I saw the finish line, I really started to pick it up. I looked down at my Polar, realized I was going to finish faster than I've ever done 3.1 miles, and kicked it into whatever gear I had left. I crossed the finish line at 28:17 and saw Max and Ever waiting for me right away!!! We stayed by the finish line until all my friends finished,and then had a photo shoot!
I was really proud with my time on Saturday! I've been super discouraged recently with my running and have really started to not enjoy myself. It seemed like my times were getting slower and slower, and I felt like I really wasn't improving in anything. Saturday proved to me that I am getting better, and am capable of more than I give myself credit for! I also realized that I really love 5k's!!! What a perfect distance to really push it! I mean, you can do anything for 28 minutes, right?! : )
Obviously a very important post-race recap! : )
Few members of the L&D Runner's Club!
Great job everyone!!!
What's your favorite race distance?
To make a long story short, we woke up, albeit begrudgingly, at 6:15 and quickly got everyone and everything together. We drove the 30 minutes or so to the race site, and hit some major traffic! Apparently everyone in the area was running the 5k! I had no idea how big the race was! Thankfully, we made it just in time for me to find my co-workers, pick up my bib, and then wait in a forever long line at Subway to go to the bathroom. Apparently many of the participants had the pre-run jitters, and I got the pleasure of seeing it in all it's glory since the toilet was clogged. I feel really bad for the employee who is going to have to plunge...
By the time I finished waiting in line, the 9:00 start time had already passed, so my friends and I waited for the second start at 9:15. We smushed ourselves in amongst the masses, and waited for the start. It took us about two minutes to reach the start line, and then were still unable to really run at our desired paces. There were tons of people there to walk the 5k, and they all seemed to be right in front of me in an unpenetrable wall! After about a half mile of stutter-stepping and weaving through what seemed like thousands of people, I was able to hit my stride and go. As I passed the 1 mile marker, I looked down at my Polar and saw that I had finished the first mile in 9:00! This is really awesome for me, since I have been struggling to consistently maintain a 10:00-10:30/mile pace recently. The last 2.1 miles were a tad bit slower. Mile 2 was around a 9:30/mile pace, but I was still really happy with it.
I was able to run with one of my co-workers for about 75% of the race, which was awesome and super encouraging! Unfortunately, the last 25% was solo, so I had to give myself consistent pep talks. Some of them included "Only less than a mile Amber! You can do anything for less than a mile!", then there was "Come on! You're on pace to finish around 28 minutes or so!!! Think how proud you'll be to finish at that pace!". There was also a lot of competitive action going on as well. I would pick out a very fit looking person and then aim to pass them. Once I passed that person, I picked another, and so on and so forth. There was also plenty of distraction with reading people's homemade shirts and looking at all the beautiful houses we passed by.
Once I saw the finish line, I really started to pick it up. I looked down at my Polar, realized I was going to finish faster than I've ever done 3.1 miles, and kicked it into whatever gear I had left. I crossed the finish line at 28:17 and saw Max and Ever waiting for me right away!!! We stayed by the finish line until all my friends finished,and then had a photo shoot!
I was really proud with my time on Saturday! I've been super discouraged recently with my running and have really started to not enjoy myself. It seemed like my times were getting slower and slower, and I felt like I really wasn't improving in anything. Saturday proved to me that I am getting better, and am capable of more than I give myself credit for! I also realized that I really love 5k's!!! What a perfect distance to really push it! I mean, you can do anything for 28 minutes, right?! : )
Obviously a very important post-race recap! : )
Few members of the L&D Runner's Club!
Great job everyone!!!
What's your favorite race distance?
I'm Baaaaaack!!!!
Hello all, and sorry for the blogging hiatus. Frankly, I hadn't been enjoying myself, and it became just another thing to check off of my list. I hate having too many things to check off, and since this isn't a necessity....well, it got the axe. But only for a little while. Now, I feel much more relaxed about it, and am looking forward to starting back up.
Anyway, there's not a ton that you guys have missed in my life since my blogging break. Lots of running, some working, and spending time with family and friends.
I will confess to you all that I am getting slightly burned out on running. After my last ten mile run about a week and a half ago, my attitude began to go south. I started to dread every run, including my shorty short ones. Not only was I dreading them, but I also felt like I was struggling throughout, AND my knees were becoming more achy.
I came to the conclusion that I need to mix things up a bit. I've all but forsaken weight training, and all other forms of exercise, to focus soley on running. This just doesn't work for me. I actually have a very "all or nothing" personality, which displays itself in various forms. Just a few examples include: Hair cuts and color - why pay for just a little trim or color update? Mix it up baby!!! (Thankfully, I've taken control over this impulse since it's gotten me into major hair dilemmas in the past), Desserts-if I'm going to eat it, it better be big and bad!! Exercise- When I find something I like, I go hog wild with it. When I was pregnant it was my Chisel class. I went ALL THE TIME. Then, it was spinning. Yet again, I went ALL THE TIME. Now, it's running.
My new philosophy is to incorporate a little variety in my running schedule so that I'm not completely burnt out by December. Yesterday I got up and went to Cardio Chisel and it was FANTASTIC! It felt so great to lift weights again!!!
In other news...I'm wanting to switch to a new blog host site like Tumblr or Blogger. Do any of you know how to accomplish this?! I am technologically dumb.
Anyway, there's not a ton that you guys have missed in my life since my blogging break. Lots of running, some working, and spending time with family and friends.
I will confess to you all that I am getting slightly burned out on running. After my last ten mile run about a week and a half ago, my attitude began to go south. I started to dread every run, including my shorty short ones. Not only was I dreading them, but I also felt like I was struggling throughout, AND my knees were becoming more achy.
I came to the conclusion that I need to mix things up a bit. I've all but forsaken weight training, and all other forms of exercise, to focus soley on running. This just doesn't work for me. I actually have a very "all or nothing" personality, which displays itself in various forms. Just a few examples include: Hair cuts and color - why pay for just a little trim or color update? Mix it up baby!!! (Thankfully, I've taken control over this impulse since it's gotten me into major hair dilemmas in the past), Desserts-if I'm going to eat it, it better be big and bad!! Exercise- When I find something I like, I go hog wild with it. When I was pregnant it was my Chisel class. I went ALL THE TIME. Then, it was spinning. Yet again, I went ALL THE TIME. Now, it's running.
My new philosophy is to incorporate a little variety in my running schedule so that I'm not completely burnt out by December. Yesterday I got up and went to Cardio Chisel and it was FANTASTIC! It felt so great to lift weights again!!!
In other news...I'm wanting to switch to a new blog host site like Tumblr or Blogger. Do any of you know how to accomplish this?! I am technologically dumb.
10 miles
Saturday afternoon Max and I tackled our 10 mile long run. This time, I wore my knee sleeves, which I've been forgetting non-stop! We drove over to a neighborhood that is literally 2 minutes from our house, and parked at the front. After stretching, and hooking up all of our electronics (ipods, and Droid running app), we took off. The first mile or so was our warm-up, so we took it slow. We made our way to the back of the neighborhood where we hit the running trails. These trails are so nice! They are basically dirt paths through the woods, with LOTS of shade! We ran about 7 out of the 10 miles on the trails.
Into mile 4, we stopped to eat half of our Jelly Belly Sport Beans, which are my favorite tasting sport food. I could literally eat those beans for candy!!! So after a 50 calorie pick-me-up, we started back up. I do want to mention that we had also filled up our Camelbaks with half water and Gatorade, so we were taking in more than just 100 calories during our almost 2 hours of constant activity!
Alot of this run was really mental for me. There is something daunting about running 10 straight miles! I've personally never done it before, and in the past would have thought that distance was crazy! I remember thinking around mile 5 that I still had five more left, and I didn't feel very excited about it! In fact, there were a few times that I contemplated how nice it would be to just stop and go home. Yet, we pressed on...
I think the trick for me on long runs like this is to allow myself to stop if I need to. Often, it's honestly due to mental weakness, as opposed to actual physical weakness. I did stop multiple times during the run. Sometimes all it took for me was to stop or walk for 10-15 seconds, and then I felt refreshed and able to begin again.
The very last half mile was the hardest. We had to pass our car in order to tack on the remaining few tenths of a mile to make it to ten, and all I wanted to do was get in the car and go home!!! My whole body felt tired and tight. Finally, Max told me we had reached 10 miles, and we stopped to walk the rest of the way back to the car.
I noticed something on this run that I haven't noticed before. I think it has everything to do with how far I ran. For some reason, between miles 8-10, I ran with something of a limp, favoring my right side. My left side wasn't bothering me at all when I was doing this. I have no idea why this happened! Does anyone have any ideas?
In all, the run took us a little under 2 hours to complete. We also had a few stops/"bean breaks" in there as well. According to my Polar, I burned 1065 calories!
After the run, we met some friends at the local Wasabi for some hibachi fun! Max and I were so hungry by the time we got there! Thank you Wasabi for your large portions! : )
What do you do to stay mentally tough during long runs?!
Into mile 4, we stopped to eat half of our Jelly Belly Sport Beans, which are my favorite tasting sport food. I could literally eat those beans for candy!!! So after a 50 calorie pick-me-up, we started back up. I do want to mention that we had also filled up our Camelbaks with half water and Gatorade, so we were taking in more than just 100 calories during our almost 2 hours of constant activity!
Alot of this run was really mental for me. There is something daunting about running 10 straight miles! I've personally never done it before, and in the past would have thought that distance was crazy! I remember thinking around mile 5 that I still had five more left, and I didn't feel very excited about it! In fact, there were a few times that I contemplated how nice it would be to just stop and go home. Yet, we pressed on...
I think the trick for me on long runs like this is to allow myself to stop if I need to. Often, it's honestly due to mental weakness, as opposed to actual physical weakness. I did stop multiple times during the run. Sometimes all it took for me was to stop or walk for 10-15 seconds, and then I felt refreshed and able to begin again.
The very last half mile was the hardest. We had to pass our car in order to tack on the remaining few tenths of a mile to make it to ten, and all I wanted to do was get in the car and go home!!! My whole body felt tired and tight. Finally, Max told me we had reached 10 miles, and we stopped to walk the rest of the way back to the car.
I noticed something on this run that I haven't noticed before. I think it has everything to do with how far I ran. For some reason, between miles 8-10, I ran with something of a limp, favoring my right side. My left side wasn't bothering me at all when I was doing this. I have no idea why this happened! Does anyone have any ideas?
In all, the run took us a little under 2 hours to complete. We also had a few stops/"bean breaks" in there as well. According to my Polar, I burned 1065 calories!
After the run, we met some friends at the local Wasabi for some hibachi fun! Max and I were so hungry by the time we got there! Thank you Wasabi for your large portions! : )
What do you do to stay mentally tough during long runs?!
Hypothyroid and eczema
Okay, so today I had a follow-up appointment to review my labwork, etc. since they have been evaluating me for hypothyroidism. They went ahead and prescribed some Synthroid, and I'll go back in 6 weeks to see how things are looking. Not that I'm excited to have to go on the med, but I am excited about NOT being so exhausted all the time!!! I'm really hoping that once this gets into my system things will be a lot better in the sleeping department. I literally can take multiple naps during the day and sleep 12 hours at night if given the chance. I hate it! I am also curious to see how it impacts my running. I imagine things will be somewhat easier for me once I have normal levels of energy, as opposed to the infant levels I'm operating on right now. Seriously, today I squeezed in a 3.6 mile run around the neighborhood and felt SO crappy. I was really tired, and the whole run just felt hard. I did, however, maintain under 10:00/mile the whole way. I'm happy about that part!
In other health news...my eczema is back!!! I get flare-ups on my chin, which is the least attractive place to have them, but they've been MIA since I had Ever (the eczema was HORRIBLE during my pregnancy). Anyway, I used a face scrub with anti-aging properties that really irritated it. Now it's back and ready for action! : ( ew.
Alright, there's the run down of my health for today. I hope you guys enjoyed it! : )
In other news, I split the pumpkin cheesecake with my mom at The Olive Garden. SO GOOD!!!!
Alright, I'm off to watch my favorite night of shows: The Office, 30 Rock, Community, Mentalist, and My Generation...I actually won't watch all of those tonight, just a few. I record the rest.
Work tomorrow, so don't expect to hear from me until later!
In other health news...my eczema is back!!! I get flare-ups on my chin, which is the least attractive place to have them, but they've been MIA since I had Ever (the eczema was HORRIBLE during my pregnancy). Anyway, I used a face scrub with anti-aging properties that really irritated it. Now it's back and ready for action! : ( ew.
Alright, there's the run down of my health for today. I hope you guys enjoyed it! : )
In other news, I split the pumpkin cheesecake with my mom at The Olive Garden. SO GOOD!!!!
Alright, I'm off to watch my favorite night of shows: The Office, 30 Rock, Community, Mentalist, and My Generation...I actually won't watch all of those tonight, just a few. I record the rest.
Work tomorrow, so don't expect to hear from me until later!
Another rainy day
Today was another rainy day, but a fairly productive one. This morning Ever and I met up with Jennifer and her son Evan, who is the same age as Ever. We stopped at Starbucks, and then went to Target, and the YMCA so Jennifer could get her paperwork to sign up. (I'm making her train for a marathon with me!) By that time, Ever was super cranky and ready for a nap, so we said our goodbyes and headed home.
I went ahead and laid Ever down for a nap, ate some lunch, caught up on a recorded show, and then took a nap myself. Once I got up, the three of us headed over to Target, TJ Maxx, and World Market to look for a tv stand that will hide all of the cords from Ever. Since she's become mobile, she's all about messing with stuff she shouldn't...the electrical cords. We have to fix that asap. We actually found a really cute stand at World Market and are going to pick it up tomorrow afternoon!
There it is!!! It's going to work perfectly because the sliding doors in front are glass plated, so Ever can't get into it!
After our console hunt, we went to the local produce stand and stocked up on some much needed veggies. I picked up 2 butternut squash, some Granny Smith apples, baby bella mushrooms, and some red potatoes. I wish I could find my camera so I could take pictures of this place. It's my favorite! (I lost my camera somewhere in Chicago!!!!)
When we got home I began my cooking adventure. Max and I washed and cut up our veggies (butternut squash, onion, red potatoes, baby bella mushrooms), tossed them in some EVOO/salt/pepper/garlic salt, and then roasted them at 400 for approximately 45 minutes. When the veggies were almost finished, I boiled my potato gnocchi that I picked up at World Market. The gnocchi is super easy to make. It literally finishes in 2-3 minutes! Once everything was finished I mixed up the gnocchi and veggies, tossed them in some spicy vodka sauce, and sprinkled with a little mozzarella cheese! It was SO GOOD, and actually nice to look at as well! Again, I wish I had my camera to show you! I'm also excited to try out the sweet potato gnocchi. I went ahead and bought a pack of those as well while at World Market. That place is literally the best store in all the world!!! My pillows, curtains, curtain rods, shag rug, and the rug in Ever's room are all from World Market. I also have some good jewelry from there!
Enough about my love of World Market...tonight I didn't go running. I actually had it all planned out...come home, cut up the veggies, throw them in the oven, and then head out in the rain for a quick 3.6 mile run. I actually LOVE running in the rain. I've always loved it, and usually the prospect of getting to run in the rain will get me into my running clothes and out the door in minutes, but tonight...it just wasn't happening. All I could think about was eating, and sitting on the couch. What is it with me lately? All I've wanted to do recently is eat and sit around the house! It's ridiculous! Right now, as I type, I'm wanting to eat some slice and bake cookies! I've just been feeling so incredibly lazy!!! Oh my goodness, I actually just thought I smelled cookies baking...I'm that obsessed right now! You know what else sounds good?! Marble Slab!
Okay, tomorrow's a new day, and a new chance to get my run on, right? I WILL be more focused tomorrow...but tonight, not so much!
Lend me some of your will-power and motivation!
I went ahead and laid Ever down for a nap, ate some lunch, caught up on a recorded show, and then took a nap myself. Once I got up, the three of us headed over to Target, TJ Maxx, and World Market to look for a tv stand that will hide all of the cords from Ever. Since she's become mobile, she's all about messing with stuff she shouldn't...the electrical cords. We have to fix that asap. We actually found a really cute stand at World Market and are going to pick it up tomorrow afternoon!
There it is!!! It's going to work perfectly because the sliding doors in front are glass plated, so Ever can't get into it!
After our console hunt, we went to the local produce stand and stocked up on some much needed veggies. I picked up 2 butternut squash, some Granny Smith apples, baby bella mushrooms, and some red potatoes. I wish I could find my camera so I could take pictures of this place. It's my favorite! (I lost my camera somewhere in Chicago!!!!)
When we got home I began my cooking adventure. Max and I washed and cut up our veggies (butternut squash, onion, red potatoes, baby bella mushrooms), tossed them in some EVOO/salt/pepper/garlic salt, and then roasted them at 400 for approximately 45 minutes. When the veggies were almost finished, I boiled my potato gnocchi that I picked up at World Market. The gnocchi is super easy to make. It literally finishes in 2-3 minutes! Once everything was finished I mixed up the gnocchi and veggies, tossed them in some spicy vodka sauce, and sprinkled with a little mozzarella cheese! It was SO GOOD, and actually nice to look at as well! Again, I wish I had my camera to show you! I'm also excited to try out the sweet potato gnocchi. I went ahead and bought a pack of those as well while at World Market. That place is literally the best store in all the world!!! My pillows, curtains, curtain rods, shag rug, and the rug in Ever's room are all from World Market. I also have some good jewelry from there!
Enough about my love of World Market...tonight I didn't go running. I actually had it all planned out...come home, cut up the veggies, throw them in the oven, and then head out in the rain for a quick 3.6 mile run. I actually LOVE running in the rain. I've always loved it, and usually the prospect of getting to run in the rain will get me into my running clothes and out the door in minutes, but tonight...it just wasn't happening. All I could think about was eating, and sitting on the couch. What is it with me lately? All I've wanted to do recently is eat and sit around the house! It's ridiculous! Right now, as I type, I'm wanting to eat some slice and bake cookies! I've just been feeling so incredibly lazy!!! Oh my goodness, I actually just thought I smelled cookies baking...I'm that obsessed right now! You know what else sounds good?! Marble Slab!
Okay, tomorrow's a new day, and a new chance to get my run on, right? I WILL be more focused tomorrow...but tonight, not so much!
Lend me some of your will-power and motivation!
5 mile run
Tonight Max and I did a 5 mile run in a neighborhood close to ours. We usually don't run through there, but it was getting late and we didn't want to drive the 15 minutes to our usual route.
The run started out just fine (The weather was great! Thank goodness it's finally starting to get cooler and less humid here!). Our first half mile was essentially our warm-up, and then we picked up the pace from there. Tonight I changed my stride up a good bit. Basically, I noticed during the mud run that I felt great the whole 4.1 miles, even after doing 32 obstacles. What was the difference? My stride! During the mud run I ran with more abandon. I definitely had more bounce in my step, and didn't do my usual "shuffle". I actually didn't realize how crazy my form has been until the mud run! I'm sure I've been looking like a grandma during my runs, and it's no wonder I've been running so much slower!!!
During our run tonight, I switched my form back to what I have been doing for months and immediately saw how difficult I've been making things on myself!!! I think I've had a breakthrough tonight people! I'm so excited! We finished our 5.2 miles in 50 minutes! No more shuffle-step for me!
Have you had a running breakthrough? What happened?!
The run started out just fine (The weather was great! Thank goodness it's finally starting to get cooler and less humid here!). Our first half mile was essentially our warm-up, and then we picked up the pace from there. Tonight I changed my stride up a good bit. Basically, I noticed during the mud run that I felt great the whole 4.1 miles, even after doing 32 obstacles. What was the difference? My stride! During the mud run I ran with more abandon. I definitely had more bounce in my step, and didn't do my usual "shuffle". I actually didn't realize how crazy my form has been until the mud run! I'm sure I've been looking like a grandma during my runs, and it's no wonder I've been running so much slower!!!
During our run tonight, I switched my form back to what I have been doing for months and immediately saw how difficult I've been making things on myself!!! I think I've had a breakthrough tonight people! I'm so excited! We finished our 5.2 miles in 50 minutes! No more shuffle-step for me!
Have you had a running breakthrough? What happened?!
I LOVE rainy days, but NOT polygamy
I can't even begin to explain how much I love rainy days. There is just something about it that makes me want to lay in bed and sleep, and then cuddle on the couch and watch movies. Today was one of those perfectly rainy days. Did I get to sleep in, or cuddle and watch movies?! NO! I had to get my butt out of bed and into work. Thankfully it was a sloooooow day, so I was able to leave around 4:00, but still...
Once I got home I ate a chunk of turtle cookie dough with a small glass of milk, and then crashed out on the couch for a couple of hours. Fantastic nap. Now I'm sitting here watching Ever crawl all over our living room, while trying to simultaneously climb up on everything she can reach. Saturday evening she just started crawling all of a sudden. She acted like she had been doing it for years! Since then she's been all over the place, and I think our easy days of sitting her on the floor to play are over! : ) I have to say that it is so amazing to watch a little person grow and develop right before your eyes! It's so great!
So, plans for the week...I've got to run a 10 miler at some point. I'm off work until Friday, and I kinda want to do it during the week so I can have an easier weekend. I also need to get myself to a yoga class, but I'm just so intimidated! I don't know what it is about those yoga classes, but I feel really nervous about going! All those yogis are supposed to be chill, right? So, why am I worried about them! What's the worst that can happen?
Anyway, I also need to make it to a Chisel class, which I honestly should have done tonight during my nap time. I'm not sure I'll end up making it to both yoga and Chisel. I think I'm going to need to choose just one this week.
Alright, what new shows are you liking this season? Have any of you watched "My Generation"? I'm thinking it's going to become a regular watch for me (until, of course, they cancel it since I like it!). I'm also kinda intrigued by Lonestar, which is about this con-man who is married to two women. I'll let you know what I think. Speaking of polygamy...there is NO way I could handle that! How could you NOT resent your husband for marrying multiple chicks?! I don't share in that area. Ew.
GROSS!!!
What new shows are you liking?! Tell me your workout plans for the week!
Once I got home I ate a chunk of turtle cookie dough with a small glass of milk, and then crashed out on the couch for a couple of hours. Fantastic nap. Now I'm sitting here watching Ever crawl all over our living room, while trying to simultaneously climb up on everything she can reach. Saturday evening she just started crawling all of a sudden. She acted like she had been doing it for years! Since then she's been all over the place, and I think our easy days of sitting her on the floor to play are over! : ) I have to say that it is so amazing to watch a little person grow and develop right before your eyes! It's so great!
So, plans for the week...I've got to run a 10 miler at some point. I'm off work until Friday, and I kinda want to do it during the week so I can have an easier weekend. I also need to get myself to a yoga class, but I'm just so intimidated! I don't know what it is about those yoga classes, but I feel really nervous about going! All those yogis are supposed to be chill, right? So, why am I worried about them! What's the worst that can happen?
Anyway, I also need to make it to a Chisel class, which I honestly should have done tonight during my nap time. I'm not sure I'll end up making it to both yoga and Chisel. I think I'm going to need to choose just one this week.
Alright, what new shows are you liking this season? Have any of you watched "My Generation"? I'm thinking it's going to become a regular watch for me (until, of course, they cancel it since I like it!). I'm also kinda intrigued by Lonestar, which is about this con-man who is married to two women. I'll let you know what I think. Speaking of polygamy...there is NO way I could handle that! How could you NOT resent your husband for marrying multiple chicks?! I don't share in that area. Ew.
GROSS!!!
What new shows are you liking?! Tell me your workout plans for the week!
Mud Run!!!
Saturday Max, Ever, my parents, brother, teammates, and I headed to Columbia, SC to participate in the Mud Run. The Mud Run is put on by the USMC to benefit families of wounded and fallen Marines. To briefly describe the run, it's 32 obstacles over 4.1 muddy miles in the woods. It's fantastic! You compete (or participate, in our case) in a team of four, and help your teammates through the obstacles. The obstacles included things such as a 10 foot wall with no place to grab onto, pulling yourself across a deep muddy water pit, jumping over tall beams (or in my case-being hoisted over tall beams), army crawling under beams in muddy water, multiple climbing walls,and a huge pit of mud which was literally the consistency of poo with some flour mixed in. It was tough, tough, tough, but SOOOO much fun!!!
I felt fantastic throughout the run cardiovascularly! I was kinda proud of myself for how good I felt throughout the run. The one thing I really need to work on, however, is my upper body strength. I did fine, but definitely have some room for improvement!!! : )
After the run, we headed to the group showers, which was kinda creepy. They basically herded you into an open makeshift shower, and gave you two minutes to wash yourself off as best as you could. Two minutes was definitely not enough. I started feeling really panicky in the shower, because I could just feel the seconds ticking away and I was SO muddy! We ended up having to go through another time, which meant having to wait in a long line of people while being wet, muddy, and COLD! When I was finally able to get a real shower back home, I was still SUPER muddy! I'm still not sure if I am completely mud-free, to be perfectly honest with you!
Max and I decided that this needs to be a yearly tradition! If you've never done a Mud Run before, I highly recommend it! It's tough, but fun, and you'll be super sore the next day! : )
Looks like Max is wearing panties. Don't worry. He just jacked up his shorts for this photo-op!!!
Right after the finish! MUDDY!!!
Carrying Max after he carried us! : )
Have a great night everyone! Sorry I've been a deliquent blogger recently!
I felt fantastic throughout the run cardiovascularly! I was kinda proud of myself for how good I felt throughout the run. The one thing I really need to work on, however, is my upper body strength. I did fine, but definitely have some room for improvement!!! : )
After the run, we headed to the group showers, which was kinda creepy. They basically herded you into an open makeshift shower, and gave you two minutes to wash yourself off as best as you could. Two minutes was definitely not enough. I started feeling really panicky in the shower, because I could just feel the seconds ticking away and I was SO muddy! We ended up having to go through another time, which meant having to wait in a long line of people while being wet, muddy, and COLD! When I was finally able to get a real shower back home, I was still SUPER muddy! I'm still not sure if I am completely mud-free, to be perfectly honest with you!
Max and I decided that this needs to be a yearly tradition! If you've never done a Mud Run before, I highly recommend it! It's tough, but fun, and you'll be super sore the next day! : )
Looks like Max is wearing panties. Don't worry. He just jacked up his shorts for this photo-op!!!
Right after the finish! MUDDY!!!
Carrying Max after he carried us! : )
Have a great night everyone! Sorry I've been a deliquent blogger recently!
My week in workouts
So, I realized I've been neglecting to talk about my training, and decided tonight's the night to catch you up for the week. How's that sound?
Monday: I was still really tired from our Chicago trip, and frankly felt like laying on the couch for the night, but forced myself out the door to go to Chisel. I always feel like it's hard to get back into an exercise routine after missing some time, even if it's only a week, as was the case for me. I actually hadn't taken the class in about three weeks. Since I've increased my running, I just haven't been attending as often. I used to go to the class 2-3 times/week, but now my goal is once per week, with another yoga day. Don't ask me about how yoga's going. I bought the mat, but I haven't been to a class yet!!!
Anyway, I definitely felt the lack of Chisel attendance, especially in my upper body and some in my core. My legs felt just as strong, but I think it's because I've been running like a fiend. I absolutely need to make sure to go every week!!!
Tuesday: My goal had been to run in the a.m., but as always, it didn't happen until the p.m. We made Tuesday night our "easy run" night, kinda like a reintroduction to moving since we had a week off. Originally we planned to run 5 miles, but only ended up going 4.6 due to a miscalculation on my part. I felt really good during this run. I think it's because I hadn't run in a week, and my legs weren't as tired as normal.
Wednesday: This was our tempo run night. We started later than normal (no surprise there), and decided to just run 3.6 miles around our neighborhood. The workout looked a little like this: 1st half mile: warm up; 2nd half mile: increased tempo at app 8:00-9:00 min/mile; 3rd half mile: recovery. The rest of the run continued on just like that. My goal was to run the increased tempo half miles at an approximately 9:00/mile pace, and I was really excited to hear we were going faster than that. I was even more excited to realize that I didn't feel horrible going at that pace!!! I guess I AM getting better! : )
Thursday: Long run day. We decided to go in the morning for this run, but unfortunately started late (around 9:00 a.m.). It's still hot and humid here in the South, so our timing was really bad. Our plan had been to tackle 10 miles, but I'll already go ahead and tell you we didn't do that. We only completed 8 today. I think the mixture of the heat and really tired legs got to us, and we were both done by 8 miles. I also had forgotten my knee sleeves at home AND ran out of water by mile 6, so the last two miles were somewhere along the lines of torture. I was really disappointed that I didn't get 10 miles under my belt, but I'll get it next week. On the upside, we tried out the Jelly Belly Sports Beans today and LOVED them! These are officially my favorite mid-run fuel.
Friday: Work all day at the hospital. No workouts today, except for running around non-stop for 12+ hours. : )
Saturday: Mud Run!!!! 4.1 mile muddy obstacle course! I can't wait!!!!!
So, that's that for the week. I'm also trying to find a marathon to train for that takes place in the spring. Anyone have any recommendations?!
Monday: I was still really tired from our Chicago trip, and frankly felt like laying on the couch for the night, but forced myself out the door to go to Chisel. I always feel like it's hard to get back into an exercise routine after missing some time, even if it's only a week, as was the case for me. I actually hadn't taken the class in about three weeks. Since I've increased my running, I just haven't been attending as often. I used to go to the class 2-3 times/week, but now my goal is once per week, with another yoga day. Don't ask me about how yoga's going. I bought the mat, but I haven't been to a class yet!!!
Anyway, I definitely felt the lack of Chisel attendance, especially in my upper body and some in my core. My legs felt just as strong, but I think it's because I've been running like a fiend. I absolutely need to make sure to go every week!!!
Tuesday: My goal had been to run in the a.m., but as always, it didn't happen until the p.m. We made Tuesday night our "easy run" night, kinda like a reintroduction to moving since we had a week off. Originally we planned to run 5 miles, but only ended up going 4.6 due to a miscalculation on my part. I felt really good during this run. I think it's because I hadn't run in a week, and my legs weren't as tired as normal.
Wednesday: This was our tempo run night. We started later than normal (no surprise there), and decided to just run 3.6 miles around our neighborhood. The workout looked a little like this: 1st half mile: warm up; 2nd half mile: increased tempo at app 8:00-9:00 min/mile; 3rd half mile: recovery. The rest of the run continued on just like that. My goal was to run the increased tempo half miles at an approximately 9:00/mile pace, and I was really excited to hear we were going faster than that. I was even more excited to realize that I didn't feel horrible going at that pace!!! I guess I AM getting better! : )
Thursday: Long run day. We decided to go in the morning for this run, but unfortunately started late (around 9:00 a.m.). It's still hot and humid here in the South, so our timing was really bad. Our plan had been to tackle 10 miles, but I'll already go ahead and tell you we didn't do that. We only completed 8 today. I think the mixture of the heat and really tired legs got to us, and we were both done by 8 miles. I also had forgotten my knee sleeves at home AND ran out of water by mile 6, so the last two miles were somewhere along the lines of torture. I was really disappointed that I didn't get 10 miles under my belt, but I'll get it next week. On the upside, we tried out the Jelly Belly Sports Beans today and LOVED them! These are officially my favorite mid-run fuel.
Friday: Work all day at the hospital. No workouts today, except for running around non-stop for 12+ hours. : )
Saturday: Mud Run!!!! 4.1 mile muddy obstacle course! I can't wait!!!!!
So, that's that for the week. I'm also trying to find a marathon to train for that takes place in the spring. Anyone have any recommendations?!
Chicago in Pictures
Here are some Chicago pics, as promised.
Maybe around 2:00 a.m., and definitely after Lani successfully changed my seating card to Senora Amber Easton! (We kept it a secret, and that's how it was printed out for the wedding!)
Oh, Giordano's...you helped me gain 15 pounds my freshman year, yet I still love you...
The fam at Giordano's.
Cute Ever.
Do you like Max's creeper face in this photo?
This is when Ever decided she hates lemons...and us. : )
Action shot.
Water Tower Mall in downtown Chicago. (one of my old stomping grounds back in the day!)
Another reason why I gained weight in college. Al's Italian Beef.
How do you like my $5 beret from H&M?!
Bestie from Chicago-Lani. Ever was totally obsessed with her. Can't you see why?! She's so smiley!
This is me posing as the groom.
????
Me and Lani.
Let's play a game called "Find the White Girl"!!! LOL
Reception. That's Carla, Lani's sister. We were all on the same floor together in college. Carla once yanked me to the floor mid-jump. : ) Oh, and another H&M find-my leopard print cardigan.
Look at how my legs are in this picture. I didn't notice that until right now. They look like granny legs, don't they?!
Oh Chicago...
Hope you guys enjoyed my trip pictures!!!
Maybe around 2:00 a.m., and definitely after Lani successfully changed my seating card to Senora Amber Easton! (We kept it a secret, and that's how it was printed out for the wedding!)
Oh, Giordano's...you helped me gain 15 pounds my freshman year, yet I still love you...
The fam at Giordano's.
Cute Ever.
Do you like Max's creeper face in this photo?
This is when Ever decided she hates lemons...and us. : )
Action shot.
Water Tower Mall in downtown Chicago. (one of my old stomping grounds back in the day!)
Another reason why I gained weight in college. Al's Italian Beef.
How do you like my $5 beret from H&M?!
Bestie from Chicago-Lani. Ever was totally obsessed with her. Can't you see why?! She's so smiley!
This is me posing as the groom.
????
Me and Lani.
Let's play a game called "Find the White Girl"!!! LOL
Reception. That's Carla, Lani's sister. We were all on the same floor together in college. Carla once yanked me to the floor mid-jump. : ) Oh, and another H&M find-my leopard print cardigan.
Look at how my legs are in this picture. I didn't notice that until right now. They look like granny legs, don't they?!
Oh Chicago...
Hope you guys enjoyed my trip pictures!!!