Fall Inspiration

I love Fall! I love all the colors of the leaves and the cooler temperatures. I've lived in many states that have pretty Falls (NH, NY, CO) but North Carolina is the best! I love NC Fall because it lasts longer than a week. I love that it comes on slowly until one day your like wow Fall is really here.

I was a slacker last week and only went to Zumba once. I had not ran since my half marathon. Last week was also Halloween. So I have eaten terrible up until today. It makes me sick to even think about all the candy I consumed. Oh well, time to cut the crap.

Today I start another round of Mom's into Fitness Pretty Fierce: Lean Out program. I did it earlier this year and really enjoyed it and had great results. I also committed to keep up with my running. So my hubby made my lunch for me today to bring to work. I packed up my running gear so I could run at lunch.

I'm proud to say I got my run in. It was a beautiful fall day. I felt pretty good for not running for a week. I'm really glad to get back at it. It made me realize that I really do enjoy running now. It's so crazy to say that, but it is true. It gives me time to think. I also love the time it gives me to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the area that we live in. We have so many wonderful Greenways near home and work.

Today I did 5 miles. My only issue was my left calf getting really tight. I know it is just from not running for a week. but it is ok, I am back:)

Tonight I do the first DVD of the program,Total Body Endurance. I will leave that to it's own post tomorrow.... haha

Happy Monday!

What's Next

While training for my half I really neglected strength training. So now I really want to set my focus back on that while keeping up some of the mileage I have built up in running.

Earlier this year I completed the Mom's into Fitness Pretty Fierce: Lean Out program. It's a 60 day 11 DVD program. I absolutely loved the program and had great results. So I plan to start that up next Monday.

I love the program because it has some flex days and I can sub in some runs. I think the program will really help me grow stronger as a runner as well.

I signed up to join a local running group that is training for the Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Half Marathon in April 2014. The training starts January 5th. I'm really excited to work with the trainer and to meet new people. I'm hoping to find a running buddy especially for these short winter days.

I'm really pushing myself to get outside my comfort zone and try new things.

I did it! 13.1 Miles

I woke up on Saturday feeling excited and a little nervous. I was more worried about the cold as it was around 28-30 degrees when I woke up. The week prior had been a gorgeous 60 degrees. So I had not trained in colder weather and I was nervous about what I should wear.

I ended up wearing:

• C9 by Champion® Women's Compression Tights from Target
• C9 by Champion® Women's Premium Skort from Target
• My Kudzu Green Sport Tek T-Shirt from work
• Oiselle Running Women's Solid Arm Warmers from Amazon
• My green light weight jacket with the thumb holes
• My Brooks Ghost 6 from my local Running Store Off n' Running
• Armpocket
• Ultimate Direction Access Waist Pack

I thought I'd end up shedding the jacket but it was just too cold and I ended up being very comfortable with it on.

The week before the race I started becoming very nervous about the hills. I had trained on some hills but I was not sure I had done enough. Luckily they ended up not being so bad. I tried to not focus on them and instead would pick runners near me that I wanted to pass. It became a fun game and with every runner I passed the more confident I became and the faster the miles went by.

Greensboro Half Marathon Elevation Map

Race Map

My goal going into the race was to finish in 2 hours 15 minutes. Which would be a pace of  about 10 minutes 18 seconds per mile. Which was very reasonable from my training and gave some extra time for the hills.

I ended up finishing in 2 hours 6 minutes and 43 seconds! I was super proud of that finish. I did have a secret dream of doing it in 2 hours but hey this was my first and you always have to have goals. Plus the hills definitley were a factor. Although I will say I did a pretty good job of keeping a consistent pace even with the hills.

According MapMyRun my race splits were:

Distance	Pace
1 Mile	09:37 min/mi
2 Mile	09:38 min/mi
3 Mile	09:42 min/mi
4 Mile	09:50 min/mi
5 Mile	09:24 min/mi
6 Mile	09:12 min/mi
7 Mile	09:31 min/mi
8 Mile	09:16 min/mi
9 Mile	09:29 min/mi
10 Mile	09:43 min/mi
11 Mile	09:44 min/mi
12 Mile	09:47 min/mi
13 Mile	09:37 min/mi
13.3 Mile	08:20 min/mi

One of my favorite parts of the race was having my family there to cheer me on. My In-laws were visiting and came a day early so they could make the race. That meant a lot to me. My husband and daughter were of course there. I saw them at the start, around mile 6 and at the finish. Most of the pictures were taken by my husband.

I was also surprised at the finish line by my boss and his daughter. I veered over and gave him a high five right before crossing the finish line. It felt awesome to have all the support.

A highlight for me was around mile 7. I was running along when all of a sudden I was passed by the winner of the marathon who was followed by a cop car. For him it was around mile 20. It was so cool seeing him fly by doing twice the distance I was doing. The marathoners started 45 minutes before the half marathoners. He won the race doing the 26.2 miles in 2 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds! It was amazing to watch the elite runners. Eight Marathoners finished in under 3 hours.

The winner of the half marathon finished it in 1 hour 12 minutes.

I have to say it was a pretty perfect experience. All my training paid off as I had no problems completing the distance. I felt great the whole time. I was able to beat my original goal. I had a great cheering team. The weather was cold but ended up being a nice temperature for racing once I got going. The event had a lot of wonderful volunteers. I'm so glad I committed to doing this.

Here were my finial results:
Finish percentile is top 41%
Age group percentile is top 37%

What's next? I'm thinking the Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Half Marathon with a goal of 2 hours :)

Ready or Not

I ended up running 3.35 miles last night on my own. I felt pretty good. It was a hilly route to help get warmed up for Saturday. I'm a little nervous about the hill profile for the race. There's some pretty large hills in the beginning and a big one towards the end.

Greensboro Half Marathon Elevation Chart

I love this!

 I'm trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself. I know my goal for a first half marathon should be to just complete it. Yet I keep having this time in my head that I would really like to get. I think I need to step back and just relax (easier said then done).

Tonight I am going to run the same route I ran last night for my final run before Saturday. I may add a street to make it a 4 miler. Heck I might even change it up and do a 4 miler I used to do at the beginning of training. I will see how I feel after work. I plan to just enjoy it and work on my form a bit. I also need to get my head in the right place.

After my run I'm going to put together my play list for Saturday. I'll post it tomorrow. I have been asking for song recommendations from friends and am excited to see what I come up with. I know I am going to need some good motivational tunes especially for that last big hill at mile 10.

Tomorrow is the Race Expo / Packet Pickup. This sh*t is getting real!

3 Days....

Yikes, 3 days until my first half. I am both nervous and excited. I have not run since Sunday so I will definitley have to get my run on tonight. I plan to do an easy 5K pushing my bean in the jogger. I'll do a couple hills.

Monday was a scheduled rest day. Yesterday I was scheduled to run 3 miles. I was still a little sore from my long run on Sunday. Plus as a last minute trip, we went and met my Uncle for dinner. He is on a business trip about an hour from us in Chapel Hill. He lives in Texas so we never get to see him. So I don't regret skipping my run.

My legs feel good today. So now I just need to do some easy runs to keep them limber. I'm so happy they feel good today. I was beginning to worry that I over did it on my long run on Sunday.

On sale - 2 for $9

One of my favorite ways to treat sore legs is to take an Epsom Salt bath. I bought some more at Walgreens and came across an Epsom Salt Lavender Soak. Let me tell you it was amazing. It smelt so good. It also left my skin nice and soft. What a happy surprise it was.

Well I'm off to get some water. I've been bad about drinking it lately. I've got to make sure I'm good and hydrated for the big day.

3 DAYS! YIKES!!!!

Last Long Run

Well I did it. I finished my last long run in training for my first half marathon. It felt great! I set out to do 10 miles and around 5 miles decided to make it 12. I just felt really good and the day was a beautiful crisp fall day. The leaves are finally starting to change in North Carolina so the view was great. There were a lot of other runners on the trail. I ran near two ladies that ran the same distance as me which was cool. I wonder if they are running next weeks race too.

12 miles is the farthest I have ever ran and this was my second time doing it. I've read about a lot of people training to 10 miles and having the last 3 miles on race day be really hard for them. So I definitely wanted to get as close to 13.1 as I could while training. I think more for the mental aspect than the physical.

Yesterday's long run was a confidence booster. I ran around my goal pace and even impressed myself. I think I'm as ready as I will ever be.

After my run I decided to drive the half marathon course. I'm glad that I did because there are some nasty hills on the course and I'm glad to see where they are. I think it would be mentally hard not to know what to expect. Especially since a lot of the hills are in the beginning. I think I'd start to wonder if the whole course is like that. Luckily I drove it and know that it is not.

Last night my husband wanted to drive the course so he could scope out the best places to cheer me on. Which I found very sweet. While we were driving it he told me he was very proud of me and he can't believe how long 13.1 miles is. He joked that he was tired just driving the course, haha. He told me which hills he thought would be hard.

I'm really excited but starting to get nervous. I'm trying not to think of the hills and how they are going to affect my run. I just need to trust my training and go into the race with a positive "can do" attitude.

"I Can and  I WILL!"

Virtual Marathon: Running 26.2 miles in 31 Days!

This month I participated in the Joggermom Cancer Run Virtual Marathon. In October you have to run 26.2 miles in as many days as it takes you. Normally I would have thought that it would be hard to run 26.2 miles in a month, but with my half marathon training I finished it in a week :)

I had a great time! 

Marathon Breakdown:
10/01/2013 - 5.21 Miles in 49:56 (9:35 pace)
10/03/2013 - 6.18 Miles in 58:03 (9:24 pace)
10/05/2013 - 3.27 Miles in 32:14 (9:52 pace) <-- Women's Only 5K
10/06/2013 - 12.01 Miles in 2:05:30 (10:27 pace)

TOTAL: 26.7 miles in 4:27:43 (about a 10 minute mile pace)

Two of these runs were firsts for me.

1. It was the first time I ran a race pushing my daughter in her jogger. 
2. I did a 12 mile run, which is my longest run to date. It is the highest mileage I will run before my half.

Women's Only 5K, 1st time racing with my jogger :)

12 mile run! Longest run so far.

Today I am 3 miles away from completing my second marathon in October.

10 Days until my first half marathon! Yikes!!!!

Bikram Yoga Love

Last week was a tough training week for me. My body just felt tired. I struggled on each of my runs and was starting to get a little discouraged. Luckily my long run on Sunday was a good run and renewed my dedication to my training. It's funny how one run can turn it around. Just goes to show you just gotta keep going. You will have some good days and some bad.

Ok, getting off topic.... My body was so sore last week so I decided I needed to do a yoga class. Earlier this year I had purchased a Groupon for a 30 day unlimited Bikram Yoga Class pass. I went many times and really enjoyed it. My favorite feeling was at the end of class when you are soaked with sweat. I feel like I worked hard and really cleansed my body of some toxins. Then to top it off my whole body feels so relaxed and stretched. Not to mention it feels great to improve on the different poses every week.

So when my body was telling me it was tight and needed some love I decided it needed Bikram Yoga. So I purchased a 5 class pass and decided to commit my Wednesday cross train day to Bikram Yoga. The 5 classes get me through to the Wednesday following my half. So it will be perfect.

I had my first class in a long time last Wednesday. It was fantastic. I was happy to find that even though I had not been for 2 month my body still knew the poses. I could tell I had regressed a little in my flexibility but not as much as I had thought.

I'm happy I have committed to add it to my training. It is great for the mind and body. I can't wait to  go again tomorrow.

"Yoga never fails to reward honest effort." ~ Bikram

11 Miles to Inner Strength

I have come so far!

Yesterday I ran the most I have ever ran, 11.19 miles (and yes the .19 counts). It was a little rough in the beginning. My left leg has been bothering me a bit. My left calf likes to tighten up in the first 2 miles. Then my foot goes numb for a couple miles and then eventually it all goes away. Then when I'm my done my ankle is sore. I guess I shouldn't complain. I think my body may still be adjusting to running so much.

I love the second half of my long runs. It's when the "runners high" kicks in. I feel like I could run forever. Until eventually my body starts telling me it's tired. Then I'm done and the accomplishment is overwhelmingly satisfying. 

I have to keep reminding myself I just ran my first 5K this past March. I can't believe I can run 11  miles now. My past self would have said "I only run if I am being chased." Now I run to reach my 13.1 mile goal and I have found I love the time to myself. I love getting to spend some time outside in the fresh air. I also love to challenge myself and push myself beyond what I have told myself I can do. I have found my strength within.

26 Days until my half. Things are getting real :)

Did I mention I hurt so good today? haha -- And yes I am rocking dorky runners compression socks under my work clothes, shhhh....

Shorter Days

Wow, is it fall already?!

I'm excited that fall is here because I enjoy running in the cooler temps and getting to see the leaves change. However, I do not love the shorter days. As of now the sun is rising around 7am and setting around 7pm here in North Carolina. So what is a full-time working mom to do? I'm not a big fan of running in the dark mostly for safety reasons. I picture scary men or animals chasing me. Especially since I prefer running on the greenways which are not lit and are back in the woods.

I work a 9-5 full-time job so I can usually only run before or after work. My best chance is to run after work since I am not a morning person. Dark mornings make getting up even worse. As the days go on and the sun sets sooner I will need some light for the end of my runs. So I did some research and came across Knuckle Lights.

 Let me tell you these things are great. They are really comfortable to wear and they are easy to turn off and on. They provide a good amount of light. I can use them for running, walking the dog, and camping. You could also put them on your bike to add a quick light.

I got the pink  Knuckle Lights. They are really cute. Installing the batteries was a breeze. There was no need to read directions, which is always nice.

 

Let me know if you have any questions about these cool little lights. :) I may do a follow up video review once I've used them more.

Excuse my appearance, this was after a 5 mile
tempo run that kicked my butt.

 

Princess Challenge Virtual Race Series II Completed

I finished my Princess Challenge Virtual Race Series II.

I vacationed in Cape Cod for a week and did my longest run yet. I did 10 miles with my friend Jess. It was also my first time running with a friend. I really enjoyed it. Running with a friend made the time go by fast. 

We ran the Cape Cod Rail trail. It was nice but I wish we would have seen the ocean from it. We ran the last 2 miles the fastest as we had decided to get Dunkin' Donut ice coffees when we were done. That was some good motivation :)

Ariel 10 Miler

 I ran my Pocahontas 10K on a Monday after work. The weather is getting cooler but it is starting to get darker earlier (always trade offs). In true Pocahontas fashion a buck ran across my path during the run.

Pocahontas 10K

 Sunday I completed my last medal of the series. I had to do 10 miles for my half training. I decided it would be great to earn my Tiara medal at the same time. I am pretty happy with my time. I can definitley tell I am getting stronger. It was a perfect end to the series.

Tiara 10 Miler

 If you have not tried a virtual race, I highly recommend them. They are a lot of fun and usually benefit a good cause :)

Sweaty Bands Rock!

I am a headband girl. I wear them all the time because I hate hair wispies (the new short pieces of hair that grow at your hair line).

The problem with headbands are that they never stay put. Usually I have to wear little clips on the sides to help keep them in place. Even then they usually have to be readjusted throughout the day as they tend to slip back and eventually off my head.

I had heard of Sweaty Bands and was skeptical that they would actually work. I have used many brands that all claim the same thing but always would still slip off. Well I am happy to announce that Sweaty Bands are no joke. They actually work! I wore one on my 6 mile run last night and it stayed put the WHOLE TIME! I didn't have to adjust it once. I wore no clips to keep it in place.

I am super pleased!

I even decided to wear it to work today to see how it would hold up all day. Again it is great. I have not had to adjust it all. My only complaint is that it is a little tight on my head after hours of wear. However, I will take it. I'm guessing over time it will stretch out a bit to your head and not be so tight. I'm just so impressed that it actually stays put. Plus they are so cute. I have already gotten a couple compliments on mine.

The inside has a velvety material that helps keep it in place.

Check out their website. They have a lot of really cute designs. They are a little pricy but if you have tried a million headbands like me then you will know that these are worth it because they actually stay.

I got the Chevron Dots one and I love how cute it is.

10K Week

I remember when I signed up for my fist 10K. The race was in June of this year. Six miles seemed like a crazy distance to me. I had just conquered running a 5K without stopping or walking in March of this year. Since then I have come a long way.

Now I am training for my first half marathon. I would never have guessed I'd be doing this. Yet I have conquered getting over the "I Can't" in my head. Now I just hear "You've Got This!" I Love this new cheerleader voice in my head. She is motivating and strong. I know with her by my side I will conquer 13.1 miles!

I'm in my sixth week of training and the shortest distance I do now is 6 miles (I add the .2 to make it a 10K). I can't believe how much I run now. So far I have ran 116 miles for my training. That is CRAZY!

To add to my training I have signed up for a couple of virtual races to keep it fun. Right now I'm currently working on my five medals for the Princess Challenge Virtual Race Series II . I've been making all the races 10Ks.

On Tuesday I completed my Mulan 10K. I did my run after work. It was a beautiful day. I felt pretty good. For once my left foot was not giving me as much trouble. It got a tiny bit numb but not enough to have to stop and keep adjusting my sock and shoe. I tried new thinner socks and started using a foam roller which I think are helping. I also took an Epson Salt bath on Monday after my 9 miler from Sunday.

Mulan 10K

 On Wednesday I completed my Tiana 10K. I felt great and did it in under an hour. My left foot was a little numb but again was not too bad. I think I'm going to do another Epson Salt bath later today to help with some leg soreness I'm experiencing right now.

Tiana 10K

I run another 10K on Friday and then I do 10 miles on Sunday. I'm excited and nervous for the 10 miler. I will be running it with a friend. I normally run solo. Luckily she told me her pace was between 10-ll minute/mile. So I think I will be able to hang with her. She has done lots of half marathons and even two full marathons. It should be interesting. Not to mention we will be running on Cape Cod, MA. I'm thinking it is going to be a beautiful run! I think I will save my Little Mermaid Virtual for that run.

Stay Tuned!

A Cure for the Curse Virtual Run Trio

I finished up my  A Cure for the Curse Virtual Run Evil Trio. It was a lot fun. I had to do three 10Ks this week as part of my half training so I decided to tackle them all this week.

I did my Ursula 10K on Monday. It was a beautiful foggy morning. I saw two deer and a hawk on my run. The temperature was nice and cool. I was proud of myself because I did the 10K in under an hour. I called it my "10K on a Monday" and it was a great way to start my day.

Ursula 10K

Wednesday morning I completed my Evil Queen 10K. While running a buck ran across the path and scared me to death. It was first thing in the morning and I was still half asleep so my first thought was that it was a bear, then a wolf and then I laughed and finally realized what it was. I was going to take a picture of the buck but it just stood staring at me when it got to the other side of the path. I don't think it would attack me but it gave me an uneasy feeling so i continued on my way instead.

Evil Queen 10K

Thursday I finished off the evil trio with  my Maleficent 10K. I tried a new lace method on my shoes (Wide Forefoot method) and it was horrible. My calves hurt so much. When I re-laced my shoes my calves stopped hurting but then my left foot kept falling asleep. I'm starting to have issues with my left foot going numb while I run. It is very aggravating. -- This run consisted of "speed play".

Maleficent 10K

Sunday I tackle 9 miles!

8 MILE

On Sunday I did my 8 miler. It was the farthest I have ever ran. I was surprised at how good I felt. The beautiful weather definitley helped. Plus I did the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway which is a great place to run. There is shade almost everywhere on the trail. I enjoyed people watching as I made my way through 8 miles.

I was actually surprised at my pace. I did 8.03 miles in 1:19:42 with a pace of 9:56. I am pretty proud of that :)

Next Sunday I tackle 9 miles!

New Kicks

I finally broke down and decided to get some new running shoes. Other runners kept telling me that I should go to a running store and get fitted for the right pair of shoes. I finally decided to give it a try after my 7 mile run last Monday. My left outside of my foot hurt afterwords and my left foot kept getting numb.

So on Wednesday I went to my local running store Off n'Running. They had me run up and down the store and video taped it. Then they did a gait analysis. For those that don't know a gait analysis is an examination of the way your foot falls as you run. It was determined that I don't run in a funny way so I just need a shoe with good cushion and they sized me for an eight. Normally I buy a 7.5.

I ended up getting the new Brooks Ghost 6. I was prepared to buy comfortable shoes no matter how they looked. I was not going to buy them on how cute they are (which is how I normally buy). I was pleasantly surprised to not only find these comfortable but they are also cute too.

 I have ran about 19 miles on them so far. Overall I'm pretty happy with them. I still have a little pain on my outer right foot but I think it is just healing from before. My left foot still gets numb around mile 3-4, but I find if I take off my shoe and sock and put them back on it goes away. Not sure if my foot just swells a bit after running for awhile and my laces are too tight. I'm going to get some new socks to see if that will help. At least I have time to try and see what works.

Any suggestions?

The Brooks Ghost 6

The Brooks Ghost 6

Armpocket Review & Giveaway

A little while ago I had talked about wanting an Armpocket. Well I finally got one and I have been using it for a little over a week.

I got the i-30 in pink with small arm strap. Armpocket recommended that I get the i-30 model since I have the humungous Samsung Galaxy S3 with Body Glove Case. I'm glad they recommended that one because I don't think it would have fit in the i-15.

Tech Specs

Model: i-30

Colors: Black, Pink, Splash, Yellow
Dimensions (H x W x D): - 5.5" x 3.8" x 0.8", (14 cm x 9.5 cm x 1.9 cm)
Strap Sizes (measured around upper arm):
- Small: 7" - 11" (18 cm - 28 cm)
- Medium: 10" - 15" (25 cm - 38 cm)
- Large: 13" - 18" (33 cm - 46 cm)
Recommended for:
- Most phones with Large Cases (Otterbox), including iPhone 4/4s/5
- Samsung Galaxy SIII/S4 (with a thin case)

Here is my review of the Armpocket i-30 


Note: There is actually a size bigger available. The i-35 which fits the Galaxy Note 2 and other devices/cases up to 6 inches.

I'm excited to announce that one lucky winner will win their very own Armpocket.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week 3

I had planned to do my 6 mile run early Sunday morning but I stayed up way too late and slept in. By the time I was ready to run it was way too hot. The humidity has also been extremely high lately. So I opted to do my run on the dreadmill aka treadmill. I have decided I really prefer running outside. It is so much more enjoyable.

The run went ok. I must run different on the treadmill because I could feel my left calf and my knees. I decided to change it up and watch Netflix on my Roku while I ran instead of my usual music. I watched Drop Dead Diva. I enjoyed the show and it helped pass the time. I watched the first 2 episodes.

This morning I got up and ran my 5 miles. It was so nice to get back outside. My left calf is a little sore still from Sunday but it held up. I'm hoping some yoga tomorrow will help stretch it out.

I have some exciting news coming up, so please stay tuned :)

Friday Run

I was supposed to run yesterday but life got in the way. So I decided to make it up this morning. Let me tell you when my alarm went off at 6:45am I was not happy (I am NOT a morning person). Yet I told myself I absolutely had to since I did not go yesterday.


I ran 4 miles. I got another personal record at 38:25. It's so fun competing against myself. I like seeing my improvement. Some days I can't believe I signed up for a half marathon. Other days I'm like "Yeah I've GOT This". 

Earned some more badges

Today I had to battle with my sunglasses fogging up from the humidity and the sweat I was putting off. My husband says I should try some stuff he uses for his glasses when he wears them under ski goggles for skiing. So I'm going to try that tonight and let you all know if it works. I was getting very frustrated not being able to see well. Luckily my run was mostly under the shade of trees so I was able to take them off for most of the run.

I'm going to see how I feel tonight but I may go to Zumba. I don't want to overdo it but I LOVE Zumba. So we will see. Plus tomorrow is my rest day so it will be nice to recover.

Well I hope everyone is having a fabulous Friday!

Fabulous Birthday!

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday. I began it by running my 4 miles. It felt pretty good. I can tell I'm getting stronger everyday. My calves were less sore.

It was a nice cool morning. The trail had a couple people walking their dogs on it. It was nice and quiet and I was able to just let my mind wander. I think that is part of the training as well. You can't think about every mile or it will seem to take forever. I'm training myself to just let go and enjoy the journey. It may be the toughest part of the training.

One of my favorite things about running is going back to check my MapMyFitness stats. I love seeing how I have improved. It's also fun earning course badges. I racked up some great badges with yesterday's run.

It's amazing to find what motivates you. I love seeing progress in graphs and badges. It keeps me going. What keeps you going?

The rest of the day was amazing. I felt so loved. One of my coworkers decorated my office with streamers. Another coworker baked me "made from scratch" cupcakes. I used my spa gift certificate from last year which included a mani, 30 minute massage and 30 minute facial.

The massage was wonderful. I had the masseuse focus on my legs. He really worked the tightness out of them and my calves feel amazing today.  I'm thinking after my half I am going to treat myself to a massage. That way when I'm hurting I will just imagine that when I am done I get a massage:)

When I got home the hubby had cleaned the house, made me a birthday dinner and got me flowers. I got to spend the night with my 19 month old and the hubby and it was a perfect end to a perfect day.


So far being 32 rocks!

Centergy... Sure Why Not

Today was a cross train day for me. My muscles are pretty sore so I decided a yoga class would be the ticket. The only class available at my gym that fit into my schedule was a class called Centergy. It's a class made by BodyTraining Systems (BTS). Personally I'm not a big fan of the series. They have group classes such as Group Kick (kickboxing), Group Power (like body pump with weights), Group Ride (cycle/spinning), etc. I prefer instructors that teach their own style. When I lived in NY our gym had moved to this system and it was just not the same in my opinion. With that said I wanted to give Centergy a try with an open mind.

The class was not that busy. There were about 10 people. (I'm used to the Zumba classes where there are 30+.) The teacher was nice and did an alright job of leading the class. I was thrown off by the music that was played during the class. I have never done a yoga class to songs from Taylor Swift. It was a little strange yet I continued to try to keep an open mind.

The class is a fusion between Yoga and Pilates (check out theYouTube video I found). It moved from one pose to another and repeated a couple times. The moves were pretty basic. It definitely got my heart pounding and my body nice and stretched out (which I needed badly). However, I found myself longing for a yoga class without pop music. I missed the quiet and peacefulness of a traditional class. I also longed for Bikram yoga (nothing like a good hot yoga cleansing sweat).

I'm glad I went but I'm not sure I would go again. It's just not my thing. I may try it one more time now that I know exactly what to expect. I really crave a traditional class. Time to check out the schedule and see what I can fit in.

The good news is I feel good. My body definitely needed to stretch. Tomorrow is another 4 miler and it's my birthday. It's going to be a good day I can feel it :)

Week 2: Run / Jog for 4.0 mi - Regular Run

Today was a nice day for running. The temperature was in the low 80's and the humidity was low. However, I did not get out until 7:40pm. I ran it pushing my 19 month old. We were racing the sunset (sun was due to set around 8:30ish). I hit a personal record while pushing her. We did 4 miles in 39:08 minutes. Not too bad for someone who declared them self "Not a Runner".

I earned some new course badges:

 

I beat my times from Sunday's run:

 

Tomorrow is a cross train day. I plan to go to a yoga class. I need to stretch out these tired muscles. Overall I feel great though!