Running for beginners

Sunday, 4 mi 8:51 average pace (at the mall)

Monday-5 mi 9:20 average pace (treadmill)

I watched How I Met your Mother (HIMYM) on the ipad at the gym and it was glorious!

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I disliked running for a long time because it always seemed to go along with forced workouts for a sport or team. In college when a lot of my girlfriends were really into running I couldn’t understand why. I was on my college dance team and we would often finish practice with a 1 mile run and I was always near the back of the group.

In 2009, Kevin went to basic training and I started to run to stay busy, physically and mentally. I started at a local track just running 2 and 3 miles. I got better each time and loved how running was making me feel and the accompanying stress-relief.

I had progressed to running a consistent 3 miles without stopping a few times a week. Soon, I went out with some friends on my first 5 mile run! I was really worried about whether I could complete this distance, but I did and felt so amazing after. My sister-in law Melissa had started running around the same time so we signed up for a few races together.

I ran my first 10k after 3 months of running, and then the 10 mile Crim after 4 months. That October (6 months into running) I ran the Detroit half-marathon with Melissa. Running had stolen my heart.

I didn’t follow a training plan or really know anything about running when I started. Luckily I was in decent shape when I started and didn’t push myself too hard. Now, I am a huge advocate of training plans, and slowly increasing mileage one week at a time. Also, I tend to either work on speed or distance for a period of time to reduce the risk of injury.

I have heard amazing reviews of the Couch to 5k Plan. You can get this app right on your phone, and it will tell you when to start running and when to stop and walk. It is a running/walking method that helps people build up to being able to successfully complete a 5k. I think this is awesome too because by training properly, you will be able to enjoy your first race and feel prepared! My friend Alli is using this, and my sister-in law and her husband have used this program too.

Runner’s World Article on beginning to run

Sticking with running

Here are some tips I wish someone would have told me:

• Get fitted for sneakers at a running store. They will help you find the right support for your foot shape, stride, and body type.
• Don’t spend a lot of money on other gear until you know you enjoy the sport and will continue for a while. All that you really need are some comfortable cheap gym clothes.
• Don’t get frustrated. Some runs are just better than others and everyone has good and bad days.
• Stay hydrated. Drink water every 2-3 miles, and sports drinks or gels after an hour of running.
• Races are fun, but expensive. Pick your favorites at the beginning of the year and budget for those.
• Beware of getting addicted. Running can take over your time and thoughts. It’s a pretty amazing addiction though.

How did you start running?

**Email me if you would like any further advice or ideas for starting to run!

Running at the mall?

Today, 3 mi in the snow!

Melissa and I went to the mall this morning to run 1 mile laps around the structure. I received a great tip from some running friends that the mall is usually one of the first areas plowed on snowy days. It was still a little messy and wet, but we had a great 3 mile run.

I was thinking of the Disney Marathon trainees that have been dealing with running in all of this snow!

Last night…I got pitch-slapped. We watched the movie Pitch Perfect! It was my second time seeing it and it made me laugh so hard! The singing is really fun too with the mash-ups. We had peppermint coffee made with my father in-laws coffee percolator.

How do you stay fit in extreme weather?

Let’s play catch-up

Monday-Spin class with Melly

Tuesday-3 mi with Kevin

Wednesday- 2.5 mi 

(winter wonderland run with 3 brave family members)

 

Here are some holiday highlights!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with friends and family!

I cheated on real running…

with a treadmill!

Saturday, 6 mi, 9:22 average pace

Sunday, 4 mi, 8:42 average pace

I don’t know how it happened. I woke up Saturday, looked out the window, and decided that I wanted to run 6 miles. It looked so cold out there, and I didn’t have the energy to bundle up. So I went to the gym, ran a comfortable 6 miles and called it a day. It was definitely not the same as a refreshing run outside, but I’m glad I ran at all.

So this morning (Sunday) I begged forgiveness to the running gods and hit the pavement. It was a crisp 23 degrees outside, but I tried running a quick pace to stay warm. I was dreaming of warm coffee, and imagined myself running towards it.

Sweaty & red face. Rudolph?

LOVE stretching on the floor with Guiliana & Bill.

I went to an adorable Christmas play last night out at North Lakeport church. It was  called Sander’s Family Christmas and put on by The Black River Theatre Company. My friend Brittany and her husband Aaron did an awesome job and the music was really fun.

More fun Christmas activities planned for today. Have a great Sunday and don’t forget to get your wrapping done!

How do you celebrate completing a tough workout?

Poho Hot Cocoa 2012 Review

There are only 21 days left until the 2nd annual Poho Hot Cocoa run in downtown Port Huron. Last year this race was definitely a highlight of my 2012 running year. It motivated me to get outside during the winter, and have some fun with friends and chocolate. Plus how cool to have such a big race in my hometown!

My running buddies Melissa, Mitch, and Sara Jo signed up for this race and we were very excited. I wasn’t much of a winter runner at this point, and hit most of my miles on the treadmill. The sweatshirt was adorable, I love chocolate, and time with my friends all made it worth it for me to sign up.

We got to the start line just a few minutes before, and contemplated different layers of clothing. I didn’t have much experience with the appropriate layers for different temperatures, and it definitely was a cold day (made the hot cocoa all the more amazing). I will be picking my clothing more appropriately this year and let you know when it gets closer!

The 8k course was an out and back from downtown PH to the bridge, with a little loop, and back to finish right in front of the store. There were a few slippery spots, but the rest of the course was well-marked and easy to run.

After the race we went through the store Weekends to get out hot chocolate, and then to the upper level of Elite Feet for chocolate fondue! We got these cute little plastic containers with melted chocolate, graham crackers, marshmallows, and fruit.

This year, Elite Feet is hosting the Poho Hot Cocoa again! The date is January 12th and it starts at 8:30. The shirt is a half-zip that looks super cute and would be a great cold-weather running top.

Come join me and other local runners this year at the Poho Hot Cocoa race! Let’s eat and drink chocolate until we crash!

 

Will you be ready to run on January 12th?

Giving and Receiving

Wednesday, 10 mi, 9:37 average pace

Thursday, spin class

I have almost survived another holiday week at school! Our party was on Wednesday, and I’m glad we have it early because of the growing craziness as Christmas gets closer. We enjoyed about 30 minutes of Arthur Christmas today, and that was a  fun treat!

Each year, I get better at managing Christmas without getting too overwhelmed. If you let the holidays stress you out, then it’s hard to enjoy the most wonderful  time of the year. Here are a few things that have helped me along the way!

I try shopping a little bit at a time and starting around Thanksgiving. I know if I start any earlier, I will change my mind or second-guess my decision. I just slowly work on my list, some online and some in store, and try to finish at least a week before the big day. Also, I know that I need to get any gifts for people at school done first because we celebrate first.

My biggest issue with buying gifts is second-guessing my decision. Sometimes I will put off buying something and then regret it in the end. I want so badly to find the perfect gift, but that can be difficult. I remind myself that the purpose of giving and receiving is to enjoy and show the person you care. If someone buys a gift for me, I appreciate it because I know they thought of me and what I might like. I think a lot of people forget this (adults and children).

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I completed another successful group run at Elite Feet! Wednesday night I joined some ladies in marathon training to do a mid-week 10 miler. This was the farthest I’ve ran since the marathon in October. We started at Tim Horton’s to complete 2 miles down to the running store, joined a bigger group for 6 miles, and then ran back to our cars. I was a little worried at first about running this distance, but it went great! I can’t wait to run locally with more of these ladies!

I keep meeting new friends at these group runs. I am pretty shy, but once I started putting myself out there to meet new people it has been so easy! I met TJ, a young girl from California who is getting married next year. Also, I joined a facebook running group called Praise Runners. The group of women meet up for runs around town, of different paces and distance goals. I am really excited to be a part of this awesome crowd!

Upcoming posts: Poho Hot Cocoa 2012 review and some food ideas/recipes!

Do the holidays stress you out?

How do you manage your stress levels?

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party!

Monday, Quick circuit workout

I hope everyone has been enjoying some fun holiday events and parties. I hosted a little gathering to welcome Kevin back to town and we had a great night. Participation was pretty good with the sweaters (a few boys were too cool).

We had a mix of friends and family there, and at the end of the evening we voted on best holiday sweater. Mitch won with his shoulder pads and Frosty the snowman!

For food we had meatballs, pigs in a blanket, and a meat & cheese tray. Also, hummus, spinach dip, veggies, and chex mix. For desserts we had Christmas tree brownies, sugar cookies, pretzel/kiss/m&m treats, cake pops, and nut cups. Wow!! Thanks for the help with treats Sally, Mitch, and Melissa!

 

What is your favorite type of themed party?

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon: Guest Post

Sunday, 1 mi warm-up + 30 mins elliptical

Hey guys! I have always wanted to run a Disney race and I am so curious about them. This is my college roomie Hanna and her review of the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. Enjoy!

I’ve ran a half marathon before and wanted to do another one, but was finding it hard to find the time/energy/reason to train for another one. So, unbeknownst to me, my fiancé signed us up to run the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. How could I say no to running through the happiest place on Earth?! Living in Michigan, I was a little scared about running a “destination half marathon”, if you will. How would it be training in Michigan and then after one plane flight be in Florida weather and run 13.1 miles? Luckily, this race was November 10th and it started at 10pm. That means even though I would be training in colder weather towards the end, I would be running in Florida at night (60 degrees) and while I was running and getting warmer, the temperature would be decreasing. It was perfect!!

Next, we needed to think about logistics of our visit. We ended up staying at one of the Disney Resorts (All-Star Movies). We normally wouldn’t do this, but by staying at the resort, they were able to shuttle us to the expo, start line, pick us up at the finish line, and take us to all of the parks that we wanted to visit afterwards. This was not only convenient, but nice when our legs were hurting and not wanting to operate a rented vehicle 🙂

So after all of our training, we were finally off! We flew down late Friday night. We woke up Saturday (race day), where I had a farmer’s omelet for breakfast. We then headed off to the expo (which I believe was open from 9am-4pm.) It was very easy to pick up all of your stuff and they had a lot of vendors selling everything from shoes to energy bars to sparkly headbands for the “princess effect.” After that, we headed down to Downtown Disney where we wanted to walk around and stretch out our legs before that night. We visited stores, bought souvenirs, and ended up eating a sandwich for a late lunch/early dinner. We then headed back to the hotel to get in a quick nap before the race. We got up, got our running costumes on (oh yes, Adam went as Mr. Incredible and I wore a pink tutu and tiara) and headed down to grab our shuttle at 7pm. It was game time!

When we got there, they had people who would take your bag who would have it waiting for you at the finish line. They had a DJ getting people up and dancing and energizing everyone for the night run. We ended up waiting in an extremely long line to get a picture with Mickey (about an hour and a half wait.) By the time we were done, they were getting people into their corrals at 9:15. This was one of my grips, the fact that we had to wait in our corral for 45 minutes before the race started. I understand that there are lots of people, but 45 minutes was a long time to stand before running 13.1 miles.

Finally, it was time. They let off the first corral at 10pm and every corral gets let off 5 minutes after the previous one. For each start, they light off fireworks, have music pumping, and have people cheering you on. I felt so pumped up! During the race, they have every mile marker lit up (so you can see it a ways away) and every mile is a different country (going along with wine and food festival at Epcot.) The race went as follows: Mile 1-3 Highway, Mile 3-5 Animal Kingdom, Mile 5-9 Highway, Mile 9-11 Hollywood Studios, Mile 11-12 Highway, Mile 12-13 Epcot.

Along the way there were a lot of different bands playing music, staff members cheering you on, amazing scenery (including the Osbourne Lights at Hollywood Studios), and characters for photo ops (including Chip and Dale, Rafiki, Toy Story Soldier, Wreck-It Ralph, Buzz Lightyear, Darth Vader, Fantasia Hippos, Genie, just to name a few.) The only complaint I have about the course would be the banked highways. At mile 9, the last thing I wanted to be doing was running on a slanted course. They didn’t last long, but at the time seemed like a big deal. The did have plenty of water/powerade stations and even had a “fuel station” at mile 8 with gu and powerbars. We ended the race by running under the big Epcot ball and finishing just outside of the park.

At the finish, they give you a big heavy medal, powerade, water, banana, and a power pack filled with protein bars, trail mix, granola, etc. It is very easy to pick up your bag filled with your dry clothes and plenty of room to sit down and stretch. The only place that was crowded was the changing area. Basically you just have to walk in, find a spot where you can stand and change. But at that point, you don’t care, you just want to get out of your race clothes! After that, you head out, grab your free beer, and are able to head into Epcot for the after party.

This is by far the best part and why I feel like this race might be one of the best Disney races. You get the whole park to yourself!!!! Of course your family and friends can buy a ticket to enter the park for the after party, but for the most part it is filled with other people who just got done running 13.1 miles. The park is open until 4am. The wait times for the rides are at most 10 minutes and you are able to walk around the park and enjoy great food and drinks from the food and wine festival, which is great for your legs right after the race. My last half marathon, right after the race I got in a car and drove home for 2.5 hours. My legs killed afterwards! This allowed you to stretch them out while having an amazing time in Disney! We were able to do the whole park in one night.

In a nutshell, I had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat. I don’t know if any half will be able to top this one 🙂

Who is in for next year!?

Healthy tips for holiday parties

Thursday, 3 mi

Saturday, spin class + 2.5 mi

My heart and mind are with the families and the community in Newtown, CT. 

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It has been a nice week of working and enjoying time with my husband. It is so fun to have him home, especially with the holiday season in full swing. Tonight we are having an ugly Christmas sweater party to welcome Kevin back into town. The treats and sweaters should be very unique.

Another yummy meal I enjoyed was sushi at the restaurant Hana. Everyone pays a flat rate of $20 and you can order as many sushi rolls, appetizers, entrees, and desserts as you like. I think our waitress was pretty sick of dealing with our multiple orders. It was just so good! I had a green tea ice cream for dessert that was legit.

I have been working on moderation when it comes to holiday treats and parties. Working in a school, it feels like 2 full weeks of goodies everywhere! I would like to maintain a healthy weight and healthy habits for the next few weeks. Here are some ideas I try when I’m partying it up.

1. Drink water all day and evening. If you are having alcohol, try a glass of water between drinks to limit the calories and keep you feeling fresh.
2. Have something to eat before you go. Try something healthy and filling like a sweet potato, or cottage cheese. I always slip up when I get really hungry.
3. Don’t feel like you need to try everything. Pick a few things that look amazing to you and stick to small portions.
4. Enjoy the conversation and holiday games after eating. Try to stop snacking once you are full.
5. Wear something on the tighter side, instead of a baggy dress or top. This will keep you aware of overeating.
6. Pick your favorite dessert and ENJOY it!

How do you stay healthy during the holidays?

Anyone else love sushi!?

Running around town

Tuesday, Spin class

Wednesday, 6 mi

This week is moving along nicely. I have a lot still to do for Christmas but I’m excited to have Kevin around to make shopping and errands more fun! Also, we have had a lot of fun at school with holiday themed activities.

Kevin and I went to spin class on Tuesday and the ride was jungle themed! I went to a similar Halloween ride back in October. The music was themed of course, with songs like “Hey, Hey, We’re the Monkeys”. Kevin maxed out his bike, and then asked me “what, is that good?” He is such a show-off . And also pretty bad-ass.

I missed my group run at Elite Feet the last two weeks because of conferences and the road trip. It was really fun to be back and catch up with my new running buddies. My WDW marathon ladies rocked 18 and 20 last Saturday. The group run had 16 or 17 people this week! It is really growing and it’s awesome to see the same faces every week. See you next Wednesday at 6:30.

Here are a few highlights in the way of eats. Sweet potato and black bean chili, air popped popcorn, salad beast, and an egg-white & spinach sandwich. Yum!

I’m still completing the elf for health challenges and I’m really enjoying it. This week I drank a ton of water on Monday, attempted to clean up my pantry, and ate 3 servings of vegetables before 2pm. Rocking it out and so is my elf Alyssa!

How do you challenge yourself to stay on track?

Do you like to workout and set health goals with friends or alone?