Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A New Distance, and The Power of Seeds and Nuts

Last night I FINALLY got up to 4 miles! Actually, I went a total of 4.1 miles, but whos counting? (me)

I thought I would be here long before now but I'm just happy that I finally made it this far. I know for seasoned runners, 4 miles is no big deal but for me it is, and I'm proud! It gave me a boost that I have been needing the past week.

I think taking good rest day Sunday helped with last night's run. I think my body needed that break.

__________________________________________________________________

Yesterday I posted a picture of some Overnight Oatmeal I made for breakfast. It was so good I decided to make it again for today. I think I underestimated the peanut butter ratio though. Also, I added chia seeds this time to step up the nutrional value. Those little things seem to be packed with good stuff.


I also found something amazing. Coffee Covered, Caramel Machiato flavored almond. Um. Where have you been all my life? 1 serving is equal to 25mg of caffiene, great for a little pick me up. I thought about grinding some and putting them in my oatmeal but decided not too. Those will be reserved for my first afternoon snack time (1 out of 2...or 3).

I also bought roasted pumpkin seeds and topped my salad at lunch with some. Seeds and nuts are just so helpful when it comes to protein and good fats.


Whats your favorite nut/seed/fruit toping for a salad?


Don't forget to check out my Twitter account! I'd love to follow some fellow runners!
@lissygrant_WLB

:)

Monday, April 29, 2013

Weekend in pictures

Happy Monday! Below is my weekend in pictures.
Saturday= Yard Sales with Mom, a park Run and a Lowes trip.
Sunday = Eating and watching TV. I also cooked my first Boston Butt in the oven. Josh looked nervous at first ha.
I went to bed before 10 (maybe even 9) every night this weekend, but I'm still exhausted. Suggestions?


Have a great day!




My first try at an outdoor craft
Willow in her running shorts
I have no idea what she was doing
curly hair...telling me to "go go go!" at Deep Run Park-Saturday Run
Red Face...trying to catch a picture before she runs for the play ground
first go at the Garmin...I love it! Excuse the time...The hills were a little too vertical for me
Overnight Oats- 1/2 cup of old fashion oatmeal, some peaunt butter (okay a lot), a cut up banana, chopped walnuts, and 1% milk..I left it in the fridge and ate it cold at work. Not bad.

Friday, April 26, 2013

My Stash

Good morning and happy Friday! 

I have a ton of filing to do this morning, but I just wanted to put out a quick post.

Tomorrow is pretty much a girls day because Josh is fishing all day. I am hoping Willow and I and my Mom can go yard sailing in the morning. I wonder...If I run first thing tomorrow a.m., can I wear my running skirt all day?? I love it. I will post a picture of it ASAP.

I ran 3 miles on the treadmill last night, and only stopped to walk for about 30 seconds! (also did 8 min abs) I really need to organize the garage, but at least last night I could just focus on the blank wall in front of me. I finally bought an arm band for my cell phone ($5 at Five Below!) so I didn't have to carry it and I listened to Pandora.

Josh bought me my beloved Garmin Forerunner 10 yesterday but it was in the wrong color so he's returning it today to get the purple one :) I am looking forward to it.

Also, I am getting my hair cut today. It is long enough to just cover my boobs (sorry that's the only way I can think to describe the length) and I want to get it cut to right at my shoulders...like a long bob. I still need to be able to pull it back while running. Wish me luck! I am too broke/cheap to go to a nicer salon so I'm going to Hair Cuttery on my lunch break ($14+ tip VS. $50+tip).

Last but definitely not least, I thought I'd share my stash I keep in my desk at work. This is the I-need-more-caffeine drawer, FYI. And it is delicious. I bought those cafe escape packs at Big Lots for $2.50 for 8. Yum. They even get all frothy at the top :)

tea, coffe and almonds

Enjoy your Weekend!

 


Thursday, April 25, 2013

It's Her'sday, Lets Talk Goals


Since a new month is coming up next week and I feel like I am not improving like I expected myself to, I figured I'd aim for something in May:


Goals for May

1. Run 1 mile without a single walk break. For some reason I can't seem to get past the run-walk-run phase, and it really bugs the crap out of me.

2. Increase my speed. I'm not sure by how much yet. I'll let you know when I do.

3. Be able to go a distance of 6 miles on long runs

4. Be able to do 20 push ups, and not those "girl" push ups either. If you have ever seen my arms, Its hard for me to do 10 "girl" push ups, let alone 5 of those real ones.

5. Last but not least, Get in more morning runs. This invovles cleaning out the garage that has all of a sudden become even more of a disaster than usual. I am hoping to get on that this weekend. Volunteers are needed :)

Do you have a goal(s) for May? share please!


So far that is it. Starting May 1st (maybe before) I'm going to really bust my ass more than I have been!

 Last night's "run" wasn't much of a run because my form just plain stinks when pushing the jogging stroller. I need to work on that one too because I think Willow actually enjoys riding in it. I did do the work out that is in the latest Women's Running magazine when we got home and some ab stuff.

I'll be squeezing in a quick run tonight before I go home, Josh is supposed to go meet a friend after I get home, but I'm sure waiting until 6:30 won't hinder their adult beverage drinking too much? ;)


Oh oh oh!!! BIG NEWS!! There is going to be a new addition to the family...are you ready???...I'M GETTING A GARMIN FORERUNNER 10 yayyy! haha I bet you thought I was going to say I am pregnant, huh? tricked you! :)






Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Bad Form

Pictures from last weekend's Color Me Rad 5k came out and please, take my word for it, my form is terrible. I noticed my feet going outward instead of pointing forward for one. And after reading about how to properly run with a stroller I can tell you I don't do that right either. :
Source: runners world


Source: runners world


See the "wrong" and "incorrect" ways? Yep. I do both of those. So here is my plan for tonight's run (if Willow allows):

1. Timed run instead of distance. I am going to aim for a 30 minute go and try to  not worry about how far I am going.

2. Use this time to work on my form. Feet in, stroller close. I can only imagine how goofy I look when you add those above pictures together. yikes.

3. Be positive. I've had trouble with this lately.


I need to work on form instead of distance tonight because I do not want to eventually get injured from not running properly and safely. I also need to check the tires because last time I ran it was wobbly...I think we over filled them with air and two tires got popped off the wheel a little. Yay.


I will share pictures and how the run went tomorrow! :) 

Boxing Match in My Head

You ever wake up and wish you were a boxer? Thats how I woke up this morning. I want to punch something. No concrete reason.

Days of being groggy, not even wanting to work out last night, and my child not wanting to have anything to do with it might be factors. Plus I woke up this morning and my face is a wreck, as is the house. I ended up leaving the house late, and it didn't help that Willow wanted to drag her full size stroller everywhere since last night, which meant having to wrestle her outside with out it to get to the car.

Also, its supposed to be 80 degrees today, but when we left the house it was in the 40's. So how did I dress my child? Well. She is wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt  and crocs. My method of style never grows old.

Anyway, My day has gotten better since I started this post over an hour ago. Its Administrative Professional's Day so the Secretary and myself were greeted with pretty flowers (they are so nice here!). I forgot my yogurt this morning so I stoped and got a Kashi Go Lean Crisp bar....that thing made my mood better instantly (chocolate peanut butter flavored). Try it, they are so good. I didn't like Kashi stuff at first, but over the years I've started liking them more and more. I also appreciate the fact that they are organic/all natural.


Last night I didn't do much of any exercise. I was frustrated with Willow not wanting to play with me (have a kid and you'll know what I mean), and I started having a sneezing fit and that zapped all the energy right out of me. I did some lunges, squats, sit ups, and a few other small things while watching tv but it wasn't much. Tonight I have to pick up Willow so I packed the jogging stroller to take her after I pick her up. Hopefully she will be compliant, I think my stress levels will go down a lot better after a good run!


Happy Administrative Day to all those wonderful people who do all the tasks no one else wants to do! Just kidding about that last part...kinda.

Tomorrow is Her'sday...what should I write about? :)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Weekend Catch Up

Does getting older mean getting sorer? Because I am sore all over.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and Monday. Just to catch up:

Thursday night I ran 3.85 miles after work. Its the longest I've ran yet.

Friday I didn't do any work out unless you count chasing after Willow as a work out....which is very possible. She and I met my mom for birthday breakfast at Cracker Barrel and we did some shopping and picked up my race packet for Saturday's 5k. (ps. we got the CUTEST running skirt at TJ Max. I need to take some pictures of it and share)

Saturday was the Color Me Rad 5k, and you can see the pictures from that here. It was SO MUCH FUN. After we went to the chili cook off for about 5 minutes (it was awful and expensive) and then buffalo wild wings. Willow came out of there with 3 stuffed animals and a ball from the claw machine. We each won her one and then a man came and one another animal and the ball and was super nice and gave them to her. She was so happy.
Later she spent the night with her aunt and uncle while Josh and I went to the birthday party my brother was having for us (twins). It was nice to have a grown up night!

Sunday was recovery day, I did 8 minutes abs and another work out video and then laid on the sofa. We were extra lazy.


Last night (Monday) I ran 3.04 miles after work on the road I live on. I am a little bored of it all of a sudden so I changed it up by doing sprints as fast and as far as I could followed by speed walking. Even with the speed walking my pace averaged 10'52" which usually I'm doing a
11'--" pace. After that I did 8 minute abs. (andddd that was followed by eating 4 right out of the oven cookies and chocolate milk...whoops)


5:30 am cuddles and coffee
So there it is, the past 4 days in a nutshell. I'm sure its not all that exciting. But there it is. I'm tired and achy...Pretty sure its because I'm a year away from being a quarter of a century old.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Color me rad pictures

Hello again! I think I figured out how to post multiple pictures from my phone.

Anyway, Saturday was a blast over all. After the race Josh, Willow and I went home and they took naps while I showered....the water was blue from all the color bombs! We went to the local chili cook off and stayed for all of 5 minutes, we won't be going back it was so bad.

After that we grabbed something to eat and dropped willow off with her aunt and uncle. She has so much fun there!

My brother had a birthday party for us (twins!), it was a great ending to a great day!

I hope you all had a great weekend! I'm off to bed early :)

Color Me Rad 5k

Happy Sunday!
The color me rad 5k was yesterday and it was so. Much. Fun. It didn't even feel like 3.1 miles, it felt like a party! It was mostly running on a road and through big business parking lots, and every so often you get to a color station. At the color station they either sprayed color on you or threw it at you (corn starch with food coloring). At the end everyone gets a "color bomb" and you throw it in the air at in unison and it goes every where and it looks awesome!

It wasn't really a timed race. We got bibs but they weren't keeping track of who won and I think that took the pressure off of a lot of people (ps there was just under 10k people participating). I can't wait to do it next year!

I will post more pictures tomorrow, I'm posting from my phone right now and I can't figure out how to post more than 1 picture lol.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Her'sday and Some Stay Cool Gear


Saw this on Facebook, so I thought I'd share it on here. Praying for Boston, the amazing runners, and supporters.

____________________________________________________________________
 
 
 
So....Today is Her'sday! Lets talk about something fun with it being Her'sday and all, and talk GEAR. (you know, in case you were wondering what to get me for my birthday Saturday.)
 
 
It's going to be HOT HOT HOT this summer, so you need to stay cool. These look pretty sassy and cool at the same time:
 
 
1. C9 Mesh Shorts with Compression (is it just me, or are these awesome for keeping your butt from showing?) $16.99 (my price range)
 
C9 by Champion® Women's Mesh Short with Compression - Assorted Colors
2. Brooks Infiniti Short II (These look like you could take a run in them and then wear them all day, so cute!)
$44.00 (aka "I wish" price!)
 
<em>Brooks</em> Womens <em>Infiniti Short</em> II <em>Purple</em>/Royal <em>Purple</em>/Citron Size XS(W)
 
3.C9 by Champion® Womens Long & Lean Running Tank, $14.99  (it had good reviews and looks cute but not too short)
 
 
4. Women's Versatile EZ SS V-Neck (Made for 65 degrees and above!), $34.00
 
 
 
5. Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS Running Watch (this is the IreallywantthispleasecanIhaveit item)$129.00 at Heartmonitors.com
 
Garmin Forerunner 10 - Green
 
 
 
I tried to find things that were affordable and also that were relatively good products. I love Brooks anything, their shoes have been a lifesaver for me. (I have the Brooks Adreniline GTS 12). And of course, I love Target. Their C9 apparel is actually really good, and for activewear the prices aren't bad.
 

The one thing I haven't been able to find to suit my needs/want is a good water bottle. I want something I can easily take on a run that doesn't leak. I have one that I bought (from Target of course) that isn't bad but its a little too wide for my hand to carry the whole run. Then I bough another one that has one of those pull type mouth pieces that alot of sport bottles have but it tends to come completely off or leak while I'm running. Which means I either look like I'm peeing or lactating all over myself by the end. So, I need suggestions for a water bottle and I'll probably try to find one tomorrow to try out Saturday, so if it works, I'll let you know!
 
 
I hope you enjoyed my Her'sday Post! Its a run night, and I hope to try out a neighborhood by the park I usually go to to mix it up!
 
 
 
PS. I didn't do a damn thing last night except drink 2 glasses of wine and watch the last 4 episodes of the Bates Motel that I missed. Felt Good.
 
 


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Someone Please Open This Door For Me!

Good morning! Technically, today is my Thursday, but I'll save Her'sday for tomorrow.

Anyway, My arms are  still so tired from that work out video (I have no upper body strength, FYI) so its taking me forever to type and I have trouble opening doors at work. Ha. But really.

Random family picture <3 font="">
Yesterday I went for a run after eating 2 whole summer squash(es) that I fried up, so after a while I started to feel those babies trying to make a second appearance. Not pleasant. I ran to the end of my road and back, about 2.70 miles. I still wanted to get to at least a 5k distance so I ran up and down the barn driveway, where Josh and Willow joined me. I think I am going to end up having a new little running partner on my hands because if you say "Go, go, go!" she will run those little legs as fast as she can! So she ran about .30 miles with me, and by the time we finished and I was finally at 3.1 miles, her little cheeks were red and she looked like she had ran a mile. I'm pretty sure that that distance is a mile for her legs. It took a few minutes longer than usual, but it was a great run to have them with me at the end :)

I am so sore from the work out Monday and adding a 3 mile run plus "8 minute abs" last night. Tonight I'm going to take it easy, I think I'll do some yoga to get my muscles stretched out. Thursday is a run day and then Friday I'm taking it easy and enjoying a day off from work with Willow before the 5k/my birthday/the chili cook off Saturday.

By the way, after reading comments on facebook about those flavor enhancers, I cut up some thin slices of lime into my ice water this morning. Its not bad...it could use some tequila but you know, that type of thing is probably not welcomed in the office. I did sprinkle in half a packet of splenda though.

Well, I better get to work! I hope you all have a wonderful day and enjoy this 80 degree, sunny weather!



*Praying for those effected at Boston. May they find peace and justice soon.*

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

2 Flights of Stairs= Soreness

Good morning my friends. I hope everyone is safe. I heard that a little boy who was 8 was killed watching his dad run at the Boston Marathon yesterday. Such a tragedy. So many people were hurt, I hope they find the person(s) responsible for such pain caused.



My work out yesterday = a lot of pain today. It was a pretty hard video, It killed me going up the 2 flights of stairs this morning at work, and even more so when I realized I left my breakfast/lunch in my car and had to do it all over again. In 4 inch heels. Here is the video, try it if you dare:

Sweat!

Despite Willow waking me up multiple times last night and attempting to let her sleep with us (and then waking up to find her playing with my hair), and then putting her back in her own bed; I am not as tired as I would have thought. I'm tired, but not as much. I think exercising really does help with energy. I also would have slept really good after that work out if I hadn't been woken up. But waking up to Willow is never a horrible thing.


One thing I am having an issue with that I haven't before is dry mouth. Water isn't helping, and whenever I eat something (even yogurt) it feels like sand. It might be from my medication (for depression) or dehydration, I'm not sure. But it is driving me nuts! Its really bad this morning. I read to chew gum or to suck on sugar free hard candy to help produce saliva, so I guess I need to find one of those today. Has anyone else had an issue with dry mouth?


Tonight is run night, after I pick up Willow, and I really need to make this one count because Saturday is the Color Me Rad 5k (the whole reason I started running) and its my birthday, so I really want to get a good run in before I rest for that. Wish me luck!

da mo 2312 Daily motivation (25 photos)

Monday, April 15, 2013

Boston Explosion

My heart goes out to all those who are in Boston right now. My bad day seems stupid compared to whats going on there. I can't imagine. All their hard work, the runners, the medics, the volunteers, the people cheering them on....I pray you are all safe and well.

Chasing a Dog Fight and Couscous Everywhere

Who would want to fight that??
I've heard people say to never get in the middle of a dog fight. Well, when you and your dog are minding your own business running down the street and the enemy of your dog comes out and immediatlely attacks yours....you kinda get a little nuts. I do anyway. If you saw a crazy lady running through your yard Sunday morning chaising what ended up being 4 dogs with a leash...that'd be me. They were all okay but I was really mad. But it made me run a little more. So I guess thats a positive. (3.27 miles....why am I not up to at least 4 miles yet?? This week it has to happen.)

I've  been lazy the past week about running and eating right. Yesterday at the grocery store I stocked up on cutie oranges, bananas, lemons, limes, summer squash, onions, and bags of mixed lettuce. Those cutie oranges are great for when you want something sweet to snack on. I also got pretzels, special k cereal whole grain bread with flax seed. Oh, and 100 calorie greek yogurt. I think that part of me not wanting to run as far is because I feel sluggish and I'm going to say part of that is the easter candy and other junk I've been eating.

By the way, couscos is probably the worst food to give a toddler. It ends up everywhere. Just an FYI.

Saturday we went to a birthday party with Jessica S. and met some pretty fun people. We had to leave early though, someone needed a nap:
 

Josh did her hair Saturday morning but it lasted all of 5 minutes:




But it was still pretty cute.



Tonight is going to be a Work Out Video Night. Now, I just need to find a good video. Any suggestions? I'll post whatever one I end up doing Tomorrow :)


Have a great Monday!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Friday Morning Run



Good Morning!

It is POURING outside right now (Please tell me why I decided to wear a long, flowy, white skirt??)! Good thing it wasn't doing that at 5 am this morning, or I would have used that as an excuse to not run on the treadmill. But It wasn't raining, just really windy (there is a tornado warning until 9am ) so I walked to the garage and hopped on the treadmill. When I run before work it is usually a time crunch, and by the time I got on the treadmill it was around 5:10 so I didn't have much time (I have to be done by 5:40). My one rule about distance is to never go under 2.5 miles, so if there is a time crunch that means I gotta move my a$$. So after a warm up walk I ran at 6.0 - 6.5 miles per hour for the first mile, then took a slow down period for about .10 of a mile, and sped it back up. Including a short cool down (4 mph for .15 miles) my distance was 2.51. I finished in about 28 minutes, which is 3 minutes shorter time than the 33 minutes it took me to do the same distance Wednesday. I was down to my sports bra and shorts by the time I was done....good thing no one was awake, it was a scary sight.

When I run in the morning, I end up starving all day. I had a Click protein shake, fruit (melons and grapes from 7/11), and a peanut butter sandwich already! Now I'm drinking some Green tea, the diet Lipton stuff, which isn't my favorite brand but it'll do.


As for yesterday's work out, it was kind of a mix of randomness. Willow and I both wanted to play outside so I did a few sprints up and down the drive way while Willow tried to do the same and giggled the whole way. We also played and just ran around a lot, took a walk to the barn, and I did some sit ups and weights when we got inside.  It was a really beautiful day, So I decided I'd take some pictures of our walk to share with you guys:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pardon the blurriness, my phone can only handle so much of Willow's super fast toddler speed. :)
 
Behind the barn is a little riding arena area, and usually I will run down the barn drive way, take a few laps around that and back up the driveway and do that whole thing over and over again. Willow really enjoys the barn, she thinks the mini horse stall is hers.
 
 
Well, I hope you all have a great weekend, its supposed to be gorgeous out!
 
 
Oh, one more thing...
 
GOOD LUCK MANDY (and all other runners doing the Monument 10k tomorrow) YOU CAN DO IT GIRL!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Slow Like Lava

Do you know what day it is??? Its Her's Day!

Feel free to come join me on my porch for a glass of Red Moscato this evening :)

Last night my distance was 2.51 miles, and my pace was a 12'22" on average. My overall average for my overall runs is 11'28" so I'm guessing the 86 degree weather last night really slowed me down. I wanted to quit at .88 mile, It was so hot and I'm not used to it yet.

My Nike +

I started with taking laps around the barn and then the house. Josh and Willow were outside playing and I told him I want to stop, basically he said no. But that turned out to be a good thing because I kept going. I decided to run down our street and I got into a zone then which was in a way relaxing. For my mind anyway. I did walk more often than usual, at the last half mile I started to feel cold which for me is usually a sign that I'm about to black out so I cooled down then and walked. (I have panic disorder, when I was younger I would black out from time to time). **I realized why runners wear those mesh-y shorts. They breath and its awesome. Cotton shorts are terrible for running!

Josh was a little freaked out about how beet red my face was when I came back. He had an awesome tip by the way: When you are really hot, run cool water over the inside of your wrists, it cools you down quickly. I'm guessing it has something to do with the veins that run right there.

Anyway, we ate dinner after that. Josh grilled some chicken legs and we also had one of those bags of steamed mixed veggies and a Pasta Side dish. I skipped the pasta and had a sweet potato instead. I was super proud of Willow because she had almost a whole chicken leg, pasta, and three servings of sweet potato!

After dinner I did that old 8 Minute Abs video. (I learned about that video from Hungry Runner Girl )

It really is tough, and my abs are the hardest thing for me, I have a lot of skin from being pregnant that just wont seem to go away. I know a lot of it is time, but also its a lack of muscle strength as well. What is your biggest problem area? (We all have one, even if for some of us, its in our head)

Its Her'sday, so get out and spend some time in that sunshine and enjoy yourself!! :)





Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Sour Face Day

I didn't get to run last night. So I decided I'd probably feel better this morning and get up early and run. When the alarm went off at 5 am and I sat up on the sofa, where I slept so I wouldn't wake Josh, I had a coughing fit so I decided I'd go back to sleep. So I didn't get a run in this morning and now I'm cranky and my allergies aren't helping.

So now I'm at work, hoping that the Alavert I took for my allergies this morning will kick in ASAP so I can go run this evening. (of course I left my gym bag at home so I will have to wait until after I get home instead of the usual right after work)

I'm needing some major motivation this week! I woke up this morning thinking "Why did I even start doing this crap?" which I assume we all think at some point but I just have to get past that and realize that I'm becoming healthier and I'm setting a better example for Willow than if I weren't working hard at being healthy. I also genuinely enjoy running and exercising and finding new things to eat, but sometimes after being a Mom and a full time employee I get a little tired.

0410130759a.jpg
classy bathroom picture at work
Anyway, if my allergies are still being obnoxious this afternoon I am still going to run, but probably not as far as I'd like. Did I mention it is supposed to be in the 90's today? Spring was literally here for like, a second. I'd still rather see this than snow....but I wonder if that will change after running in this heat? I think I'm going to have to go get some tank tops and shorts that are appropriate for the weather.



 
By the way, I am in love with the maxi dresses that...get ready for it....Family Dollar sells. The one I have on today fits me like a dream and that plus the sweater were under $20 at Family Dollar. Don't hate me 'cause I'm thrifty!

I better get to work! Have a wonderful hump day, and do an extra lap for me please!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Burning It Up!


 


Really, who is not enjoying this weather?!

My Princess from Saturday
It is so nice to not have to put a coat on before leaving for work. Willow actually wore shorts for the first time this year today! And if I do say so myself, she was pretty darn cute. I tried to get a picture but she was pouting when I dropped her off this morning.

Since I ran out of my yogurt and banana for breakfast this morning, I went with a Click Espresso Protein drink and a bagel. Probably not the healthiest but it was pretty darn tasty. And I didn't have to drink any coffee since my protein shake had 2 shots of espresso in it!

Is anyone else nervous about running in the upcoming heat? It is supposed to be in the 80's today and a high of 88 tomorrow. I'm hopefully going on a run after work and I am pretty positive I do not know how to dress for this. I have yoga shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt, but nothing fancy or moisture wicking like I should probably have. (Shopping trip??)

I also forgot socks. So I guess that will be on my list of things to get on my lunch break today...I'm not trying to stink up my running shoes more than they inevitability will already.

I did a work out last night, just a mixture of squats/crunches/jumping jacks/weights/planks/etc. I did this for about 30 minutes. Also, I walked to and from work from where I dropped my car off for a state inspection. so that was a little over a mile I walked.
I was bad when I first got home...Willow and I went and played with the neighbors and Amanda and I had some Red Moscato. That stuff is soo good. Seriously going to have to start working out in the morning to avoid the heat and so I can have a glass of wine when I get home some times. ;)
I really really want this kitten.


What is your must have item for running in the heat? Reading up on articles I have these tips to share:


da mo 196 Daily motivation (25 photos)
Found at TheBerry.com

  1. Always stay hydrated. (Not just water, but electrolytes as well!)
  2. Sunglasses are great to keep the sun out of your face, which can be a big annoyance.
  3. Its definitely important to warm up and cool down properly
  4. Dress as if it were 20 degrees warmer. So, If its 80 degrees out, dress as if it were 100 degrees out. I know, you are thinking WTF?? but seriously, its a nice rule of thumb to go by, and you will be glad you did.
Here are some good articles on running in the summer I found:

Surviving the Sizzle - Women's Running

20 Tips to Stay Cool- Active.com




Monday, April 8, 2013

Spring is Back!

Good Morning You!

It has been absolutely B-E-A-UTIFUL out the past couple of days! I tried a new spot yesterday, The Montpelier Center for my run. Its a lot prettier than I expected and its not far from my house. Willow slept the entire run in the jogging stroller and woke up right as I was walking us over to the play ground (PS. A toddler waking up to a play ground before them is like me waking up to a giant already made cup of coffee: HEAVEN)

It was the first time I actually got to run with her in the jogging stroller and let me tell you, it is much more of a work out pushing that thing. Add that with the warmer temperature, I was in for something some exercise yesterday. Plus, both Willow and  

At one point there was a hawk big enough to have a huge shadow flying over me, and I'm pretty sure he was telling me to just lay down and die. The temperature was very pleasant, if you aren't running and pushing a stroller, and still new to running. Still, I pushed myself and got 3.80 miles done. I felt a lot better afterward, especially when Willow and I went down the slide together.

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The rest of the weekend was fun. Saturday our neighbors had an awesome Easter Egg hunt. They had a total of 566 eggs hidden. All the kids had a ball. I ate entirely too much food and candy. Willow and their youngest Son, Grayson who are only 6 weeks apart followed eachother around for most of the afternoon. They even had a little argument over the toy car and it we just let them work it out...we figure they will keep arguing for years to come if they are going to be bf/gf hehe.

Yesterday we met up with Jessica S. and got ice cream and went on an adventure to Garden Ridge. Willow loved the rugs, and I loved the isle of cups. We had a great time with her as always!


I promise I was awake. She was eating some Sorbert her Aunt Jessie got her :)


Tonight I'm going to do some cardio. Whats your favorite workout right now?

How are you dealing with the warmer weather when running?

Have a lovely day! :)