Weekend Round Up

No working out this weekend, unless you count dancing the night away in Atlantic City.  I headed down to AC around 7:00PM Friday night.  We went out around 11:30 and I managed to stay out until 5:00AM.  My legs were definitely sore between wearing heels and dancing.

I can clean up nicely.

Sunday was a great day out with the girls at the ballpark!  Gotta love my dad for giving us such amazing seats!

Even though they lost, it was a great day!

Root, Root, Root

Yesterday I stuck to my diet and felt great!  I just need to keep it going to get to where I want to be.  I have to look at it like the half marathon.  It's a long journey, but I can get there!  No running for me, I wanted to let me legs rest after my 7 mile run (still can't believe I did that).  I'm actually afraid that it was a super freak day and I won't be able to do it again for a while.  I know I'm going to have 'on' days and 'off' days so I just need to "keep on swimming."  I went to kickboxing and, boy, did he gave us a good workout!  I was dripping sweat half way through.  Best feeling ever! :)

I'm really looking forward to Sunday, this weekend.  My dad called me earlier this week and offered me four Diamond Club tickets to the Phillies!  Of course I said yes!  So I'm having a girls day at the game... so excited! :)

Why is food so delicious?

I decided yesterday that I really need to start watching what I eat again.  I wouldn't say that I eat badly, but I find myself snacking more and that really adds up.  I used to be strict with calories, using an online food diary to track what I ate.  It really did helped me lose weight, along with my running.  When I joined the gym in January I hit my lowest weight at 117.  And now I'm 129?!  What the hell!  I know some of it is muscle for kickboxing and running, but seriously twelve pounds!  So today I started that calorie counting, which some people say isn't great for you to do, but it works for me.  I'm doing really well today!  Great run yesterday and a good diet to follow! :)

Oh. My. Goodness.

Yesterday I really thought I was definitely going Kickboxing and that I'd try for some kind of run beforehand.  Whelp, that plan changed - for the better, I would say!  I hit the pavement after work, only expecting 3 or 4 miles.  I DID 7.1!!!!! Forrest Gump must have taken over my body because that is crazy for me!  I have never ran more than 4.5 in my life!  Maybe not running for six days did me some good.  I also hit my fastest mile time to date - 9 minutes and second mile the pace was still about 9:15.  Then for miles 3 to 7 my paces stayed relatively the same around 10:15 - 10:30.  That, I think, made me the happiest.  I didn't slow too much adding on!  This run made me fully aware that I CAN DO THIS!  I just ran a half of the Half Marathon, and I know I could pull the rest out of myself! :)  I'm so incredibly happy and proud of myself right now.

Does this happen to anyone else...  Lately, when I run my fingers and hands get swollen.  I've only noticed it the past couple of runs.  At the end of the run yesterday, it hurt a little bit to make a fist.  And that's why I skipped kickboxing, I didn't want to hit the bag and hurt my hands.

Side-tracked

So yesterday I had every intention to go for a quick run after work.  A group of girls were going to Red Robin after they were done work.  But I decided to be semi-girly and curl my hair and look "nice" to go out.  Not a great excuse, but I figured I could afford skipping occasionally this early in the game.  I have plenty of time to train in the future, and in a few months I won't have that leisure.

Today I'm back on the grind.  Definitely kickboxing and hopefully a run.

It's the Little Things in Life

It amazes me how much weather can affect my mood.  Yesterday, I thought it was supposed to be sunny, I planned on a little run and kickboxing.  But it ended up being cloudy and a little rainy.  So needless to say, all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch TV.  I let the bad side win.  I started to e-mail someone back, but decided to give up because I didn't have the energy to think.  I knew, then, that even if I had gone to the gym, the workout wouldn't have been great.  So I guess I made the right decision.

This week is the Week of the Young Child.  Every day there's a different "dress up" day at work.  Today is dress like your favorite cartoon character.  And even though Minnie is my favorite, I went with Buzz Lightyear!  Any excuse to wear sweats to work, right?

Inspirational Gear

This weekend was a semi lazy weekend.  I was definitely looking forward to an extremely lazy Friday when I got home from work.  Saturday I had to babysit for a couple of hours.  We ran around the playground, so that was a little workout, right?  Then I went food shopping and bought Tangled! :)  Sunday was craft day.  We only got through half the craft (just cutting and tying the shirts) because we were too intrigued with Disney movies - Tangled and Beauty and the Beast.  My friend started one of her shirts.

Our Inspiration

I have what I want to put on the shirts all planned out:

1. Purple shirt - "To Infinity and Beyond"
2. Yellow shirt - "Beauty Trains Like A Beast"
3. Green shirt - "Faith, Trust, and a little Pixie Dust"
4. Blue shirt - "A Dream is a Wish Your <3 Makes" 
5. Red shirt - "HAKUNA MATATA"

Each one will have a 13.1 and crown (like above) on it somewhere.

Bows Galore!

Yesterday was just an off day for me.  I tried something different with when and how I eat during the day and it did not work.  It made me eat way more than I usually do - no bueno.  So I laced up my shoes and went for a run, after I was stuck at work for an extra hour - again no bueno.  I thought I was going to do my 4.5 mile route, but I was wrong.  I finished my first mile under 10 minutes, which I've never done while recording time.  So I know I pushed myself too hard for that first mile and I was burnt out.  I knew I was going to kickboxing later, so I was okay with a lighter run.

I have to share this shop on Esty - JollyHolidayBowtique.  She makes such cute Disney inspired bows, I wish I could buy them all!  They would definitely be cute to wear on race day! :)

Corrals and Teams

Yesterday I planned to go to two classes at the gym, Core Conditioning (a new class that I really want to try) and Kickboxing.  I ended up just going to kickboxing, with little motivation... it was just one of those days.  But I made it through, somehow.

Okay, so I know I'm not going to run this in an amazing time, but I want the chance to do my best while still having tons of fun.  I've been curious about the corral placement.  So I went over to Disney's Moms Panel and went searching for my answer.  Basically you get placed based off your previous race results, and if you don't have one you'll most likely be placed in the last corral (although I have seen where people were placed in the upper corrals and it was their first race).  You need a proof of time from a race of 10K or longer.
I've also read that the once the last person crosses the finish line, the course time limit starts.  So this means people that the people who start sooner will have more time to play with.  And I want the chance to take pictures with some characters, so I want that extra time, if possible.

Picture From Here

After learning this I looked up some races in the area.  So now I just have to decide which one(s) I want to sign up for!

I'm already signed up for The Color Run (5K) on July 8, 2012.

The races I'm considering for a better corral placement are:

Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll half marathon     September 16, 2012
Hershey half marathon     October 21, 2012
Atlantic City 10K or half marathon     October 21, 2012


Along with corrals, I was wondering about their 'teams'.  So went back onto Disney's Moms Panel and searched.  Their teams do not do relays, which is okay because I would want to run with my friend.  Pretty much you get a team bib and are up for the team awards, in addition to whatever the individuals receive.  So that's something to consider if my is really up to the challenge!

Dress to Impress

My friend came over again yesterday to run.  We did the same route, and shaved 4 minutes off our time!  I tried to use Galloway's run-walk method more for her this time.  I think she just needs to figure out what techniques work for her the best and then we'll be golden!  We have ten months - I'm glad we're starting so early.  I want to get to the mileage and then improve on my time.  And I'm dragging her with me whether she likes it or not.

I found this DIY shirt on Pinterest (love that website!!).  I tried it over the weekend with an old shirt that was way too big on me, and while it worked it looked silly because of how big it was.  So yesterday I picked out a tie-dyed shirt that fit properly and cut away.  Love it!!  Michael's is having a sale 5 for $10 t-shirts.  We went and picked up shirts and this weekend we're having a craft day.  We're going to make motivational Disney Princess running tank tops!!  So I just have to pick some quotes/sayings to write on the shirts.


I think we're going to put something like this on every shirt - to remind us of our goal!  I'll post pictures of our final products!

Run, Rapunzel, Run

Pretty, Pretty Princess

Yesterday was my first day running with someone since I've played sports.  My friend is considering running the Princess half with me, so we figured we may as well see where each other are, running wise.  Going into it, we both kind of knew I am faster and have more endurance.  So this run was much more leisurely than I would have done on my own.  It was kind of fun being her "trainer" and pushing her.  I carried a little water bottle that I had, and it wasn't too bad.
During our run and afterwards, we were discussing our princesses and what we would dress up like for the half marathon. I was set on picking Belle as my princess, but at the time I was only thinking of the "original" princesses that I knew as a kid.  I never even considered the newer princesses, like Rapunzel.

RAPUNZEL

She is smart, since she's stuck in the tower she made the best of her time and educated herself.  She has a dream and the courage to pursue it.  Although she is a little scared when first leaving the tower, her adventurous and confident side take over.  She has the confidence to stand up for herself.
What I don't like about Rapunzel:  She lets her 'mother' control her life, but I guess when that's all you know, you just assume what's happening is normal.



And here was what I originally said about Belle:

BELLE
She is intelligent.  She loves to read and follow her imagination.  She'll do anything for her family (her father).  She's not afraid to speak her mind.  She'll stand up for what is right.  She can be stubborn, but also compassionate.  She can see inner beauty in others.  What I don't like about Belle:  I could not think of a con for Belle, so I did a little research to see what other people had to say.  Some people say that she broke her promise to the beast to stay forever.  When he was treating her that way, would you stay?  She went back when the situation presented itself.

I think, as of now, I don't necessarily have a "favorite" princess, because both of them are pretty awesome.  I suppose I'll decide which one to choose when the time comes.  But as for an outfit, I think I'm leaning towards Rapunzel, I just look better in purple than yellow. :)

Weekend Round up

This weekend there wasn't much working out, unfortunately.  I did a lot of spring cleaning around the house, and still have more to go!  I also did a little yard work yesterday.  So I counted all that as my 'workout'.  Today is going to be almost 90 degrees!  I'm stuck at work, staring out the front door to a beautiful, sunny day.  I'm going to kickboxing no matter what tonight and I'm going to try and run, at least, a little!  I don't' want to overdo it too much with this crazy heat wave.

This may seem a little crazy/silly, but I have harnesses and leashes for my two cats.  So after I did my gardening, my mom and I brought them outside for the first time.  This is Ollie and he loved the new flowers!  Luna, my other cat, wouldn't sit still for a picture, she was too busy exploring!

Lately I feel like I've been having no self control regarding my diet.  I keep eating everything!  I know I can do this, I've done it before.  I just need to get that through my head.

Mother Dearest

When I told my mom about wanting to the the Disney Princess half marathon, immediately she wanted to take the trip with me to cheer me on.  We both have been wanting to go back to Disney, but it's hard to take vacations together because of the whole working together thing.  The last time I was in Disney was my senior trip back in 2006.  And then last time, I think, my mom was there is when I was in the 4th grade, so that was 1998.  We're definitely due for a Disney trip and this would be the perfect opportunity.

My mom always talks about losing weight and her choice of exercise is walking.  She can't really jog or run because of her knees and lately has been having issues with her foot.  So I suggested her working towards the Tangled 5K, and just walking it.  She seemed excited!

So last night I went to kickboxing again.  And this time I was excited to go, the way it used to be!  It was such a good class, I was drenched in sweat and loving every minute of it. :)  I used muscles that I haven't used in a while and I'm still feeling it today.  I absolutely love that feeling!  We had a little birthday party for the instructor afterwards.  People brought snacks and food and cake (not the best idea after working out, but it was really nice).  I skipped the cake and had some veggies, cheese & apples, and these amazing spinach balls that I will be making ASAP!

I had to come into work later today since I have to close, so I decided to try and get up and run before work.  I usually have this idea but don't follow through, so I didn't know how it would pan out.  I, surprisingly, woke up before I usually would to go to work!  I ate a little breakfast and had my coffee, sat down and watched a show on the DVR.  Then I hit the road.  First ten minutes/mile were great!  And then it went downhill from there.  I don't know if it was the fact that it was my first morning run and my muscles weren't warmed up or if it was the fact that it was cold outside (around 33 degrees), or maybe it was a combination.  I walked a lot more and it wasn't because I was breathing heavy or had a side pain, it was more like my muscles just didn't want to function the way I wanted.  Next time I think I'll do a short walk beforehand to get into the groove and hopefully that'll help.  I also don't think I want to do anymore morning runs when it's this chilly outside, I'll save them for the summertime when it's too hot to run after work.

Hydration Belt

The next "reward" I'm giving myself will be a hydration belt when I reach 7 miles.  I've been researching these for a while now and I just don't know what I want to get.  I don't think any will be flattering to wear, but I do think it's essential to stay hydrated, and with warm weather approaching I want to be prepared.

  Some I looked at had one bottle that was larger, but when I thought about it, I feel like that was bounce more/be more uncomfortable to wear.  Then I thought about a hand held, but I like having my hands free.








So these are the ones I'm currently looking at:
  NATHAN SWIFT
FUEL BELT REVENGE® R2O 2 BOTTLE BELT
NATHAN SPEED 2


Any suggestions?

Good Workout Day!

Yesterday was a good workout day! :)  I went out for a run and I just knew that I had to add a little onto the longest run.  I did almost .6 miles farther!  Which, I guess, doesn't sound like a lot, but it was awesome for me!  It's definitely giving me the confidence that I can actually do this!!  The app that I use on my phone was updated and now a voice comes on telling me my time and pace at every mile.  I love that feature, it's such a great motivator!
I told a friend that I would go to kickboxing with her, so I ate dinner and got ready for that.  Now I haven't been there since March 19th, that's three weeks of not going, so I knew it was going to be a tough class.  Man did I miss it!!  It helps get out any aggression and I can just feel my muscles toning.  Two hours of working out and I'm feeling pretty good today.  Skipping my run this afternoon to let my legs rest, but definitely going to kickboxing!

Raynauds Syndrome

When I was a freshman in college (about 5 1/2 years ago) I noticed something a little strange happening to my fingers.  The tips of my fingers would randomly turn white-ish and go numb.  I didn't think much of it at the time, because I was a college kid.  I tried to figure out when it happened.  It mainly occurred when I was cold, but then sometimes it happened when I wasn't, I was so confused.  Three years of college go by (I'm an overachiever) and I'm out in the real world.  At this point I have just learned to live with whatever was happening to me.  It wasn't until two years later that it got "worse."  Now my entire fingers would turn white and it seemed to last longer.  I was telling a friend/co-worker about it and she said the same thing.  The only difference is that her fingers turn more of a blue & purple color.  And she knew what it was called!  Raynauds Disease.  I went to the doctor and he confirmed that I had it.  Now there's nothing you can do about this.  I starting taking CoQ10, as my friend suggested, but that doesn't seem to do much for me.  I have recently have decided that I think it makes me get an outburst when I take it (probably psychological, but whatever).

My hand - taken in Jan/Feb 2012. 

I've learned to live with this during daily activities, but it's not fun to have while running, especially when it's cooler out.  I took the CoQ10 before I went out and instantly got it.  It was a little windy which made it a little chilly.  It took, maybe 7 minutes for the white to go away and then the tips turned blueish/purple.  That only seems to happen when I'm in the cold.  I'm holding out a little hope that this multivitamin that I started taking will help it.

Here We Go

So yesterday I made the decision to not go for a run.  It was so windy outside, weather.com even said the wind could cause power outages.  I know I was just making excuses, but the last time I ran in 'high' winds it was just a horrible run and I felt like I wasn't going anywhere!  I know that if it was a race day I wouldn't let that stop me, but right now I have the choice.
I needed to go food shopping, though, so I guess it worked out.  And what did I see while walking into Sams Club... a display of Disney DVDs.  Score!  Since it was Sams, they were reasonably priced, too.  I was toying with Beauty and the Beast and Tangled.  I mean, I could have just gotten both, but I'm trying to save money to do these races.  So I went with Beauty and the Beast, a classic, and it'll go back into the vault sooner or later.  I watched it last night while I was reading Uglies.  And they added a song?!  Why do they feel the need to change the classics.

Back on the grind today.  I will go for a run.  I decided to start a training program now instead of in a couple of weeks.  I made up a weekly schedule according to Jeff Galloway's training programs listed on the race website.  I listed both "To Finish in Upright Position" which is 20 weeks and "Time Improvement" which is 23 weeks on my schedule.  That puts me completing the program at the end of August or beginning of September!  Then I'll have 4-5 months to improve before the race!  I know I'm going to end up tweaking the program to fit my personal preference.  The time improvement plan does 800s instead of long runs some days, so I'll adjust that as I see fit.  I have a friend on board training with me.  She's on the Beginner Runners program, so we're not doing the same mileage, but we're still running 'together'.  I still need to read Galloway's book to get more tips and tricks.

Outfit Inspiration

Belle (Kohls)







Ariel (Target)

Cinderella (Kohls)

Weekends

For some reason, I have such a hard time getting out running on the weekends.  I mean, shouldn't it be easy since I'm not exhausted from an nine or ten hour work day?  I find my mindset to be the opposite of most people.  I have more energy and motivation after working all day, I guess it's since I'm already moving around it's easier for me to get my butt in gear.

But on the weekends, I can sleep eight hours and then still want to lay on the couch and do absolutely nothing.  Yesterday, I slept my eight hours woke up and went to my parent's house for Easter breakfast.  We went to church and then we took a ride to our shore house.  I napped the entire way there.  When we got there I laid right on the couch, I didn't sleep but I could have.  That seems like a problem to me.

I may have discovered a solution.  Last week, a friend and I were just so tired/lazy, very different from our usual selves.  She proceeded to tell me that she realized what her problem was.  She had low iron, and she hadn't been taking her pills.  So I'm going to try it out, I'll run to a store and get some this afternoon and see if that helps.

To give me an extra boost of motivation I'm going to make a list of goals and rewards.  Check them out here.

Which Princess...

I had a relaxing night watching Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast followed by The Little Mermaid.  I was never big into the princesses, since I was a tomboy.  When asked who my favorite was I always said Cinderella because she was the first one I knew and I thought I could at least resemble her with blonde hair and all.  So lately I have been questioning who would I pick as my favorite Disney princess.  I narrowed it down to Belle, Ariel, and Cinderella.

BELLE
She is intelligent.  She loves to read and follow her imagination.  She'll do anything for her family (her father).  She's not afraid to speak her mind.  She'll stand up for what is right.  She can be stubborn, but also compassionate.  She can see inner beauty in others.  What I don't like about Belle:  I could not think of a con for Belle, so I did a little research to see what other people had to say.  Some people say that she broke her promise to the beast to stay forever.  When he was treating her that way, would you stay?  She went back when the situation presented itself.




ARIEL
She is adventurous and out going, which some people say leads to her being disobedient.  She loves her family, but knows that she has to do what's right for herself even if it goes against her father's wishes..  She's loves learning about new things.  She has Flounder!  She follows her heart.  What I don't like about Ariel:  She's selfish.  She makes decisions without thinking on how it could effect others.  She's 'obsessed' with a guy.  Although it was for love, she chose the land and a man over her family.

CINDERELLA

She is very kind.  She does a lot for other but never expects anything in return.  She is always happy and believes that good things will come to her.  She is very patient.  She works hard in hopes that one day all her dreams will come true. What I don't like about Cinderella:   She can be too kind.  She stays in a bad situation with her step mother and sisters.  Why didn't she just leave and try and make it on her own?  Her fairy godmother basically hands her everything, instead of going out and pursuing her dreams on her own.

All the princesses are great role models.  From what I hear, you need to choose your favorite princess when registering for the half marathon.  So who would I choose?


Belle.

Recording Workouts

When I ran back in college (2006) I never recorded mileage or times, I had a general idea but never kept track of it.  Back then, I did it more to relieve stress and to get into shape.  I didn't even own a fitness watch, I just put in my ear buds and ran.  A year ago (4/11/11), when I started running again, I got a little notebook and started writing down miles and times.  I found this to be a great motivator!  I loved to see my mileage increase or my time drop!  I ran for two months and then we had a crazy heat wave and just stopped.  I ran a couple of times in the fall.  But now I'm gearing up for the long haul!

I got an app on my phone (iMap My Run) that records the miles and times for me!  And then it even tells me the pace I was running at.  Could it get much easier?  Only downside, is that I can see where my mileage was a little off before from doing it on MapQuest or driving it in the car.  But I love that I now how that accuracy that I can rely on!

Jeff Galloway suggests a little more detail:
Date
Morning Pulse
Time of run
Distance covered
Time running
Weather
Temperature
Precipitation
Humidity


Comments
Walk-run frequency
Any special segments of the run (speed, hills, race, etc.)
Running companion
Terrain
How did you feel (1-10)

I think I'm going to not do as much detail, but definitely use some of his suggestions!

Running Gear

These are the new running shoes I bought a couple week ago.  They’ve been sitting in the box in my closet begging to be worn.  I’m strange like that.  I’m known for returning a lot of things after I purchase them.  So I wanted to make sure these were the shoes I wanted.

I finally laced them up yesterday for a run.  They were amazing!  I wish I could say the same about my run.  I’ve only run three times in the past two weeks, so it’s my fault.  I just have to find my groove again.

You Can Do It

Yesterday I got Jeff Galloway's book, You Can Do It, in the mail!  I'm so excited to start his training plan in a couple of weeks!

I browsed through the book yesterday.  The run-walk method is a genius idea.  I was always under the assumption that everyone that participated in races ran the entirething.  On a good day I can go 4 miles without stopping, but then I feel like I want to fall over.  So adding walks on purpose will definitely help.  I’m very intrigued with the nutrition chapter.  I like to say I have a pretty healthy diet, but I’ve been slacking a lot with that lately.  I want to know how to fuel my body properly.

For the next couple of weeks I’m just going to continue running as I usually do.  When I feel more comfortable I’ll start with his weekly training plan.  I’ll start at week 6 or 7 because that’s the mileage I’m currently at.  So in about 30 weeks I should be able to run 13.1 miles.  Let’s hope this works.

Goals

1.  Do a 5K.

          Signed up, now I just need to wait!  The good thing about The Color Run is that it’s not timed, so it’s not intimidating for a first race.  It just looks like one hell of a good time!  I have a couple of friends on a team with me so we plan to have a blast!

2.  Disney’s Coast to Coast Race Challenge in 2013.

          So that would consist of Disney’s Princess Half Marathon AND Tinkerbell’s Half Marathon or Disneyland’s Half Marathon.  I’ve never run more than 5 miles at one time, so this is going to be struggle.  But this is my main goal.  I’m going to try my hardest to make this happen.  I also need to save, save, save for the trips!!