Tag Archives: Running

January 20, 2013 · 2:00 PM

It’s Official…I’ve Lost My Mind

lost mindI decided this year would be the year I find the fun in fitness again. As I have mentioned before, I decided on a few “fun runs” to do in the summer, and I’m absolutely stoked about them.

Yesterday, I opened up Groupon as I normally do, hoping to find a deal on something I can use. What did I see? A Groupon for the Rugged Maniac 5k in July. What happened next? The wheels in my head started spinning, insanity took over and I purchased two Groupons for the event!

In case you don’t know what the Rugged Maniac is, here’s a little video to shed some light on this:

Of course I watched the video AFTER talking my husband into it, purchasing the Groupons AND registering for it. I knew it was a mud run. I knew it had lots of obstacles. My inner athlete swears I can do this, my inner wimp is currently cowering in the corner. (My inner wimp can be pretty dramatic at times.)

I plan on using the The Rugged Regimen which is the training guide provided by the Rugged Maniac website to prepare.

Overall, I think this is going to be a tremendous experience for me. I’ll be leaving my comfort zone, training in ways I haven’t trained in a long time and spending time with some amazingly fun people! What more could I ask for?!

Have you ever done a Rugged Maniac, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash or Spartan race before? If so, I’d love to hear any tips you have to offer!

blog sig

 

PS: If you are local and want to join the fun, let me know! The more the merrier! I’ll also be posting info on Foam Fest, The Glow Run and The Color Run as I sign-up.

2 Comments

Filed under Health & Fitness, Running

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 19, 2013 · 4:57 PM

{Update} 26 Miles For 26 Victims

Last week I blogged about signing up for the 26 Miles For 26 Victims event that #FurtherFasterForever was running over on their site. When I decided to do this, I knew it was a lofty goal, but I knew I was capable of doing it.

IMG_4506[1]

This was not an easy to do, especially for a newbie to running like me. My legs were sore, my knees started to hate me and I ended up doing quite a bit of speed walking during some of these miles, but I did it and that’s what counts!

I am over the moon happy with this accomplishment, but the cause I did it for is such a somber one. Each one of those miles I ran represented a child or teacher that was taken from their loved ones too soon. A person who set out about their day like we all do, everyday. A child who was excitedly waiting for Santa to arrive and teachers who were planning their shopping and holiday festivities with loved ones, but never got to see those anticipated moments.

IMG_4507[1]

Each mile made me appreciate all that I have, especially the two miles that we did as a family. It might not be much, but it is mine and I will treasure it for as long as I am blessed enough to have it.

blog sig

 

1 Comment

Filed under Health & Fitness, Running

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

January 16, 2013 · 11:30 AM

{Wordless Wednesday} My Week In Fitness So Far

IMG_4474[1]

IMG_4478[1]

IMG_4471[1]

IMG_4470[1]

blog sig

Leave a comment

Filed under Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness, Running

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

January 13, 2013 · 4:47 PM

26 Miles For 26 Victims

This week I will be pushing myself harder than I ever planned, but the cause is one that touched me deeply.

I will be completing 26 miles from January 14th – January 20th as part of the #FurtherFasterForever Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Run & Ride.

shesmrr

The Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Run & Ride is an opportunity for you to get out and be active while donating 100% of the entry fees to the victims families and first responders of the tragedy that happened on December 14, 2012 in Newtown Connecticut. #FurtherFasterForever, an online community of athletes will be donating 100% of the entry fees to the HopeMob for their projects in Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary.

If you would like to join, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.

blog sig

1 Comment

Filed under Health & Fitness, Running

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 9, 2013 · 9:13 AM

500 Miles or Bust!

500 milesThat’s the goal for 2013!

I have until December 31, 2013, to complete my goal of logging 500 miles of running. I’m both excited and nervous about this new chapter in my fitness journey.

Setting a running goal is something I decided I wanted to do before the holidays, but I never thought about setting a mileage goal until I read this blog post. I had just downloaded the Run to 5k app and set a goal of being able to run a full 5k by the spring and once I could, I’d start working on my time. After reading that blog, I realized that setting a mileage goal was a fabulous idea and would help to keep me motivated.

It breaks down to roughly 10 miles a week, which isn’t too crazy. Granted, there will be weeks when I may not be able to hit the 10 miles. I’m sure there will be weather, soreness and other outside influences and set backs, but I’m pretty confident that I can make it up when the weather warms up or by adding an extra shorter run to the plan.

As for right now, I’ve been running at least 3.1 miles (a 5k) three times a week. It’s a walk/run combo that is moving more towards a full run. That distance includes a 5 min walking warm-up and cool-down, which I hope to tack on in the beginning and end of the full 5k (to increase my distance) as I become more confident in my running. Today my legs are really not happy with my running three consecutive days, so I plan on doing some lifting, a nice yoga session and then seeing how I feel as the day progresses.

(It’s going to be almost 55 degrees in January! I don’t know if I can resist going out for one today.) I am however, smart enough to listen to my body. If my legs protest, I’ll do an easy run with lots of walking. (Mileage is mileage and an injury will just be a major set back that I do NOT want!)

Part of my goal is to also get used to running on different terrains, since I do an annual 5k that is mainly on a wooded trail. For the most part I have been training on pavement, but last week I added my local fitness trail back into the mix. I am much slower on the rocky terrain and my legs fatigue much faster, but that’s okay! I feel a much different burn when I’m doing it and I go into it knowing that it’s going to take time to adjust.

Sooooo…wish me luck as I run towards my new goal! I haven’t felt this inspired since I did P90X for the very first time 3years ago!

Want to join me in a 2013 goal? If so, let’s hear it and cheer each other on!

blog sig

4 Comments

Filed under Health & Fitness

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

January 3, 2013 · 8:27 PM

Keep On Rolling, Baby!

If I ever hit the lotto, I will have a personal masseuse to address my sore muscles and help work the daily stress out of my tired body. Until then, I’ll have to settle for massage gift certificates on special occasions and my new foam roller.

For the longest time, I saw fellow fitness friends tweeting about foam rolling and how blissful it was, but I had no idea what it was. I began looking these foam rollers up on-line and realized that I could truly benefit from one. I have always had super tight hamstrings and hip flexors, so seeing that there were ways to roll these areas to lengthen and stretch them intrigued me. I figure it could also come in handy now that I’m running more. My legs are always tight and sore post run.

Thankfully Santa (aka my husband) bought me one for Christmas! He got me a textured roller made by Gaiam which also came with a massage routine DVD. I’ve heard that the textured ones give a deeper massage to the muscle and can take some getting used to. Hopefully it’s not too painful at first…I can be a wuss at times.

I also found this handy graphic on Pinterest (of course) which I think will come in very handy.

Foam Rolling

Do you use a foam roller? If so, do you have any tips or techniques? Please feel free to share below!

blog sig

2 Comments

Filed under Health & Fitness, Quick Workouts

Tagged as , , , ,

December 30, 2012 · 3:11 PM

Working On Goals For 2013

2013resIt’s that time of year where you begin to reflect on the past 12 months and start deciding what direction you would like the next 12 to go in.

For me, the focus has been on a few areas, but I’ve put a lot of thought into doing more “fun races”.

I did my first “fun run” this past September and I loved it. The Color Run was so much fun and I had never participated in anything like it before…especially due to my phobia of group fitness activity.

As I perused my 5k options on Active.com and RunningInTheUSA.com, I discovered many different types of “fun runs” and quickly started making a list of ones I’d like to do in 2013!

So far, my goal is to do the Glow Run, Foam Fest and The Color Run.

I, being the Pinaholic I am, have already started collecting ideas for my run attire, for the Glow Run…

I LOVE this idea for the Glow Run!

I LOVE this idea for the Glow Run!

I also like that I now have goals to train for. I tend to need something to focus on in order to keep on track. I know that I will need to make a solid run schedule as well as a lifting schedule for myself. Somewhere in that mix, I’d like to at least do month 1 of Insanity again, because I know how well it builds up my cardio endurance.

2013 has the potential to be amazing. A year for me to finally break out of my shell and start being a social fit person. I survived a group workout with Tony Horton in 2011 and Bikram Yoga classes in 2012. I even attended a BlogHer party by myself during the summer. Maybe there is hope for me yet!

Do you have any fitness goals for 2013? How about any “fun races” that you may have done in the past?

blog sig

Leave a comment

Filed under Fitness Inspiration, Health & Fitness, Insanity

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 18, 2012 · 9:24 AM

The Perfect 10

As usual, I was trolling around Pinterest and stumbled upon this. I used it instead of a run since the weather around here has been yucky. I felt a major burn in my lower body and teamed up with a plank hold. I really need to get back to my plank challenge, I seem to have lost some of my strength here.

The Perfect 10

I’m not a fan of the treadmill, nor do I have one (or access to one) anymore. I’m also not a fan of running in the rain, which is why I’ve been looking for short, yet solid at home workouts. What are your favorite workouts to do instead of running when the weather doesn’t cooperate? 

blog sig

Leave a comment

Filed under Health & Fitness, Quick Workouts

Tagged as , , , ,

Image

Semi {Wordless Wednesday}

run

 

blog sig

Leave a comment

December 12, 2012 · 8:03 AM
July 2, 2010 · 11:45 PM

Mish Mosh of Thoughts…

I have been neglecting this blog lately and I am disappointed in myself for doing that. There has been a lot going on here and my head has been swirling so I haven’t been able to pin point WHAT I wanted to write about. As a result, I decided to just sit back and write about whatever comes to mind which is why I have titled this “Mish Mosh of thoughts”.

I apologize in advance if I am all over the place…

First off I am in Round 2 – Phase 3 of P90X. I have slacked off a little bit and missed a few workouts over the past 2 weeks but I will make them up before the 90 days are over. The same thing happened to me in Round 1 and I just doubled up and plugged along like a trooper.

One of the reasons I have been slacking off is that I haven’t been feeling up to par lately. I have been sluggish, light headed and prone to headaches. I have tried playing around with my calorie intake and things improve for a day or two but then go back to this off feeling. I decided it was time to go to the doctor to see what was going on. EKG was fine and I am waiting for  blood results to see if maybe it is a thyroid issue.

I am still hopelessly in love with the fitness trail. My longest distance so far was an 8 mile walk/run last month. It was such a great feeling to know that I pushed that hard and stayed within the time constraints I put on myself.

Most of my walks/runs after that have been in the 3-4 mile range and I am now hoping to do them daily since my daughter goes to camp where the fitness trail is so I am there anyway…might as well get a workout in right?!

Since falling in love with walking I have started to run a bit more. Mind you I only run when I do the trail by myself because I feel like a complete and total moron when I run. I have pacing issues that I am working on and can only go about a 1/2 mile before burning out and needing to walk for a bit and then resuming a run again.

I would love to be able to do the whole 3 mile lap in a run by fall without needing those breaks.  For now my goal is the keep all walks at a pace of 16 min per mile or lower because I would love to do one of the half marathon walks in Disney next year and that is part of the rules.

Hmmmm…

I had my first Power 90 graduate last month and my husband is  finishing in 3 days! I am so excited, proud and happy for both of them! My friend is going on to do the Power 90 Masters Series and my husband is going to move up to P90X!

This past week I have also been approached by numerous people at my daughters camp who haven’t seen me in almost an year. They all want to know how I have kept myself going, what my secret is and I have been told by a few that I am their inspiration. It is a truly amazing and touching to have someone look you in the eye and tell you that. It is something I NEVER thought I would be.

Pull-ups….I have become obsessed with wanting to do them on the bar. I don’t have one in my house and have screwy doorways so the bars that just hook over the door don’t work here. I keep looking at the one on the fitness trail and I want to try it but I can’t get up the nerve. I am thinking about going to my friends house and trying her husbands out. At least if I can’t do it I will fail in private and not on an open to the public fitness trail. I know…way to be positive.

Other than that I just have lots of random thoughts swirling around in my mind which makes me feel like I have ADD. I am thankful for the fitness trail which allows me to have some time to talk about things with my friends or clear my head alone as I zone out to The Prodigy.

Lastly I would like to give a  HUGE thank you to my buddy for listening to me and helping to guide me the past few weeks. You mean more to me than you may ever know. XOXO

blog sig

1 Comment

Filed under Health & Fitness, P90X

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,