Achey Breaky

Hey friends! Hope you're all having a great week so far! I have been so busy lately...between cranking out the last few weeks of marathon training, celebrating Cory's birthday and maintaining a life, I have little room for much of anything else!

I'm now on to week 13 of training, only 3 more to go! I don't know if I'm excited to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel or scared out of my freaking mind/nauseated that it's so close. Physically, I think I'll be ready. Mentally is a different story.... (Cory can attest to that).

I haven't had much to report on as far as training lately. We don't have another "big" push until the 29th, so we've been maintaining mileage and upping our weekday training runs a little. BUT, this weekend is very exciting. I'll be running the Rocktoberfest Half Marathon with several of my running friends. I've promised myself that I'm just going to be running this for fun. I would be crushed if I pushed too hard (which...I've been known to do) and get hurt before The Big One. Hopefully I can throw my competitive nature aside and just have fun!

Besides running, there's been a lot of this lately:

Not as fun as you might think....

I'm not hurt...but you better believe I'm hurting. Small aches and pains all day long. Luckily, it's been nothing major and where it hurts one day, will be ok the next...of course there will be a new pain that day. Right now, my right shoulder is ACHING. I think I'm too tense when I run... and that's the hand I carry my phone in (if I'm running with it) so I'm probably squeezing it extra hard or something. My right ankle is also bitching today. I wish she would shut it. I've got better things to do than worry over her. Oh and my left foot. I've been rolling it over a freezing cold Coke I stole out of the work fridge all morning.... I should probably throw it away (or give it to Cory) when I'm done. <gross>

Speaking of the hubs...he celebrated a very special birthday last Friday. Happy Belated 25th Birthday to my wonderful husband! :) We went to eat with the family Friday night and this was Cory's meal:

Ho-ly Cow (pun intended)

Yep. Ate the whoooole thing :) You only turn 25 once!

In other news... it's almost Halloween!!! Me and Cory were invited to a costume party next weekend. I need some ideas for couples costumes...

I think we're going to be Burger King and Dairy Queen (Cory doesn't know this yet).

Have a great week!

PS- Even though my blogging skills are slack, I have been updating the workout page... try the newest arm workout. Did it this morning...and it is a struggle for me to be typing right now. You won't be sorry.

I'm not dead.

So, let’s be honest.  I haven’t written in like 3 weeks. Yeah, I said it.

I’ve been excruciatingly busy lately and the blog is one of those things that’s easy to put off, no offense.

Here's something to make it all better...

You forgive me now, right? She eases the pain, with her good looks and all.

Let’s back up to that 14 miler I gawked about in the last post - it went GREAT. One of the best runs I’ve ever had. Of course, it ended with a few casualties (toe nails) and new blisters, but it was perfect. Fall is in the air and the crisp breeze makes running so much more enjoyable. I guess I can thank God for humidity, because I appreciate this weather SO much more.

Last week I was in Atlanta, GA all week for work. It was nice to get away from the office, but the days were really really long and I missed my little family. Not to mention that the hubs got bronchitis and a sinus infection while I was away (Good for me, bad for him) With the help of vitamin C, I’ve not caught it… yet.



Oh, heyyy 1996 Olympics





That tall building was where our conference was held- tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. It was alright ;)





Getting ready for the conference. I know I looked really hot. ha.



I ran the majority of my mid-week runs via treadmill which was kind of a nice change. I ran in the mornings at the hotel’s gym and had the whole place to myself every day. Had to work off all the wining and dining we did! After last week, I never want to go out to eat ever again. I’ve had my fill for the year. It’s amazing what some people will order when they’re on the “company’s tab.” But that’s another story for another day.

So I got home Friday and got settled back into our little home just in time to take a “nap” that turned into bed time. 6pm bed time? Am I an infant?? Whatever, I’ll take it. So I caught up on sleep and then woke up fresh for Saturday’s 16 mile run.

Can I just say that going into this, I was very flustered. (Definitely not because Cory took my car key to work with him-again- and I had to hitch a last minute ride, thanks Mom, then forgot my Garmin and had to go back and was late to meeting the group…not because of that). J I was scared that the added nervousness and stress would screw up the run and my body would tire out easier.

So I started my run saying “Here goes nothing.” Of course, this would be the longest run of my life. Pretty exhilarating if you ask me. I took the first couple miles to just breath. I needed to de-stress from the week and the morning and just take it all in. After that, I was game for a long run. My legs felt strong and my breathing was easy- again, thanks to the 60 degree (amazing) weather we had.

Have I ever mentioned that I have THE BEST running group? I’ve gotten to know these women pretty well over the course of our runs (2+ hours of sweating next to someone will do that to ya!) and they are each so inspiring and genuine good people. My runs have taken a new direction because of these guys- they push me, entertain me, and keep my laughing the whole way.  

I can say with all seriousness, 16 miles was AMAZING.

A-MAZE-ING.

I didn’t want it to end. I know some of you are thinking that’s crazy or whatever, but it’s true. Pushing yourself to new limits and distances is truly one of the most rewarding things God can give a person. Now, I only have to add 10 more miles to that distance for the big one. No big deal, right?! J haha. I just pray that I have that same I’m-On-Top-Of-The-World feeling I had at 16 that I’ll have at 26.

Immediately following the run, we had a trainer waiting to stretch us out (perks of the Y).  I stretched every muscle in my body, chugged some chocolate milk, rolled out my legs with my stick, and threw on my hot compression socks. I was good to go.

This week is kind of flying by. I ran 8 miles Monday and attended a “Strength for Runners” class last night that was pretty awesome. I’ve got 4 planned for today and tomorrow and then 12 for Saturday.  

So there ya go. The last 2 weeks thrown together. I’ve got some ideas for posts in the near future so look for those! :)

Thanks for hangin with me!!

The 10 Commandments

Hey guys!
Hope you're having a great Thursday!! :) It's almost the weeeeeeekend! Yay for 3-day weekends!

I wanted to go through some information I recently got from my running coach that I'm *fingers crossed* praying works, for injury prevention. Y'all know I've been a big fan of preventing injuries during Marathon Training, so this stuff was right up my alley! Although this is specifically for endurance athletes, I think it would apply to all aspects of exercise.

(Like I've said before, I'm not a doctor, certified trainer or professional- these are my own opinions.)

The 10 Injury-Prevention Commandments of Endurance Running

1. Warm Up and Cool Down

A good warm up is a key component to preparing the body for any training session/competition. Warming up elevates the heart rate and VO2, and increases blood flow. This raises the muscle temperature and helps decrease joint and muscle stiffness, which improves the range of motion.

A warm up should be between 5 and 15 minutes and should include activity that reaches as many parts of the body as possible. Examples include slow jumping jacks, jogging, or walking.

[There is a lot of controversy regarding the benefit/harm in stretching "cold" muscles. In my opinion, stretching always feels  more effective after my workout, so I try to focus on stretching as part of my cool down.]

The same goes for a good cool-down, with the reverse effect. You should always cool down after any exercise in order to slowly lower the heart rate, and clear the lactic acid in the muscles- which lessens potential muscle soreness. A good cool down involves light, low-intensity aerobic exercises- examples include walking, marching in place, or light jogging.

2. Consume Post Exercise Fuel

The goal of post exercise nutrition is to restore muscle and liver glycogen stores, hydrate, and repair muscle tissues. The most effective time to eat is 15 to 30 minutes post cool down, when your muscles are most receptive to fuel. Tissue and muscle repair can be accelerated if you combine both protein and carbs in a 4:1 ratio.

The best post-workout fuel, due to it's combination of proteins and carbs, is 1 cup of chocolate milk. If you can't stomach milk after a hard work out, go for a protein bar or a banana with peanut butter. And the rule here, is that anything is better than nothing!

3. Incorporate Recovery Techniques

The best technique I've found to recover faster and most efficient is foam rolling and massaging with The Stick. I try to always use a combination of these pre and post long runs. After long runs, you can typically find me sporting my geriatric knee-high compression tights, which help the blood circulate and promote muscle repair. I also ice anything that has the slightest discomfort to it- better to be safe than sorry!

4. Follow the 10-Percent Rule

As a rule of thumb, never increase training time or volume (mileage) any more than 10% per week. Example, if you start with a total of 20 miles total this week, you should run no more than 22 next week.

5. Integrate Strength Training

Strength Training not only raises your basil metabolic rate, but it prepares your body for the stress and strain of training. It also facilitates bone health and can boost your lactate tolerance.

6. Use Proper Equipment

If you're planning on running regularly (even if just for recreation)- get fitted by a professional for a good pair of running shoes. Running in your 6 year old "yard shoes" is recipe for knee pain, shin splints and back pain. Running shoes should be replaced every 6 months- even if you didn't get the full use out of them. The foam cushioning in the shoe begins deteriorating over time!

If using machine weights, make sure you have it set to the right sizing and the right weight. And if cycling, make sure your bike fits you the correct way.

7. Rest and Recover

Always prepare for and include rest days and be flexible with your plan so that you can incorporate unplanned rest days, when needed. If endurance training, it is also very important to include rest or "step back" weeks, in which you lower you weekly mileage to allow your muscles to rebuild and recover before the next push upward.

8. Interval Train

Interval training is a great way to boost endurance, as it improves VO2 and anaerobic threshold. Intervals also allow your body to get faster and more efficient- plus intervals make work out time fly by!

9.More is Not Always Better

 Don't be afraid to take a day or two off from your training schedule, if you feel like your body is worn down or sore- just make sure to get in your required mileage (especially long runs!). Switching around your training plan during the week is absolutely okay, just try not to skip any crucial runs.

On the opposite end, over training is worse for your body than rest days. Running extra mileage doesn't earn you bonus points, it just increases your chances of injury!

10. Sleep

Sleep is absolutely essential for recovery. Active adults are urged to get in at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night.. which for me, would mean a 9pm bedtime on days I wake up at 5am. If you're not able to get this much rest, try to plan naps or "rest time" at night or after a work out.

I hope this has helped some of you out there training for races or just in your active lives! Have a great day!!

Ya gotta take the good with the bad

My Week:

Bad:
-Spilled coffee down shirt. My white shirt. First thing Monday morning. And my Tide pen was empty.

-Allergic reaction to sinus medicine- drunk, dizzy, nauseous, jittery all at the same time. sweet.

-Which caused my 6 mile up-hill run to be disastrous

-Got told "I'm gonna sue your ass" by a "disgruntled customer." Do it. I dare you.

-Waited for 10 minutes at the gym to show my card, only to be told that I must have a photo ID (which was 5 miles away in my car) to get in because she didn't believe it was really me (um, what?) causing me to miss yoga- which I was convinced I needed. (Did I mention I was waiting because the girl was gossiping with her friend.. Not proud to say I bawled like a baby when I left).

-One of my favorite running coaches has had to quit (I feel so lost! eeeek)

-Light fixture on our fan fell on me and Cory during the night...which feels awesome, btw

-Our fire alarm continues to go off..at all hours


Good:
-Scored free tickets to the USC/ECU game this weekend
-Just bought my first crock pot
-umm......

So this week's not off to the greatest start. It can only get better after we're over the hump, right?! Plus... I get to watch my Gamecocks win and see my college friends this weekend, so it's gotta go up... right?! Oh yeah... there's that 12 mile thing I gotta do, too. Pray for me.


Marathon Training Week 5
Monday: 6 miles + sprints
Tuesday: Unplanned rest day (ahem, see above) + walk with the hubs
Wednesday: AM Strength, 3.5mi easy run
Thursday: 3.5 mi run + Spin
Friday: AM Strength
Saturday: 12 mi run


A very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend in the whole wide world Jenna Brown!!!! I don't know where I'd be without you, SM! :) Have a wonderful day, love!

Week from Hades

Heyyy guys! How has your week been? Mine has been stressful! I lovingly welcome this Day of Fri with big, wide, huge ass arms.

This has been the never-ending monster of a week that has left me with copious amounts of coffee in my system and serious lack of sleep (staying up past my bedtime to catch the fight between Ronnie and Sitch didn't do me any justice...priorities.)

I arrived in the office at the ripe hour of 6:30AM this morning for a meeting. So right now, my brain is feeling like it's at least 11:30am. Oh how I wish. Hello 10am, nice to see you- not.

Something about switching gyms this week has thrown me way out of schedule. Y'all. I'm such a schedule freak. Really... the teeniest things throw me off; get it together Kristin, get it together. I guess having the same workout schedule for 2 years will do that do a person?

Anywaysers,  I'm blaming the change on the fact that I had some serious work-out mishaps this week... I literally cussed my run out yesterday- ask the hubs, he saw. "Go to freaking hell 5 mile run, go to hell." I have issues.

So, my work out schedule for the week looked like:

Monday- 3 mile speed work run + 20 min of stair stepper + 25 mins cycle
Tuesday- 3 mile hot run on my lunch break
*Wednesday- AM Strength Training From Hell; PM Core Challenge Class, Cardio Challenge Class
Thursday- 5 Mile Run From Hell (the running gods were against me)
Friday- REST
Saturday- 10 miles

*Please note that this was on Wednesday. It is now Friday. I still cannot stand up without wincing, my butt muscles are still cramping up, and my hamstrings are screaming at me (lower body AM strength. Obviously.)
*PS- when you go to a "Core Challenge" class. What do you expect? Sit-ups? Planks? Core-related stuff? Yeah. me too. Not leg lifts, one-leg squats, hamstring curls, and donkey kicks. Thank you, mean teacher, for making my already sore ass, sorer.


I will spare you the deets on the 5-miler yesterday. Only my mom, sister, and unfortunately Cory know the whole story. It's a little TMI for the ole blog.

Dear Rock Hill,
It would be great if you could consider the needs of runners, bikers, walkers, and those alike, and provide accessible restrooms to those in need. Passing by dozens of closed churches and businesses, and unnoted amounts of run-down/out-of-business stores only confirms my belief that you are unprepared in the outdoor exercise department.
Rearranging my route so that I have to run all the way into downtown, while there is a legit (200+ person) gathering being held, so that I can find a bathroom, is a little rude. Please take after your big brother, Fort Mill, and place a port-a-potty on every corner. Thanks for understanding.
                                                                                                 Sincerely,
                                                                                                 Nowhereto Poppasquat

Now the other half of the run was totally my mom's fault. She passed down her sense of direction to her dear old daughter. Thanks Mom. I appreciate you giving me the ability to get lost in the only town I've ever lived in (besides college) in an area I've been well versed in for 24.2 years.

*Note to self- when lost, keep running. You'll eventually get somewhere. Even if it takes you an extra hour to get there. Points for added miles.


Have a fabulous weekend. Do something crazy. I'll be running and volunteer working (like, for free).


PS- Mom, you can make it up to me by taking me to see The Help Saturday night. I appreciate your apologies.

Monday Pick-me-up

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7985459/im-running-a-marathon

:) What have I gotten myself into?!

This part in particular had me laughin "Get up at 5 am, run, go to work, think about running, talk about running to anyone that will listen, go home, eat healthy, then lay out my running clothes..."

This, I can relate to! :) haha



Marathon Training Week Two

Saturday: 7 mile run
Sunday: Rest Day
Monday: 3 mile run; spin
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: AM Strength Training; Boot camp
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: AM Strength Training



Hope you all had a happy Monday! :)

Marathon Training- Week Uno

Well... we're all moved in to our new place. The verdict? We absolutely love it so far! We have SO MUCH space and everything actually has a place, which is a totally new concept to us.

Our babies seem to have adjusted pretty well, too....



What? You think I couldn't handle the move? Please.





I'll just take a quick nap...



This weekend was basically spent moving. cleaning, painting, and unpacking- and man is that a workout! :) 



Lookin gooood





Finished pictures to come soon!

 Saturday started Day 1 of Marathon Training! Words do not describe how scared I am. I have confidence in myself, but seeing those scary miles on the schedule freak me out- I'm not gonna lie. This week has pretty low mileage, but I'm going to try hard to stick with the schedule exactly, even if I feel like I can do more. I believe the running plan is there for a reason, and if I push too hard now, I'll definitely regret it later (like when I'm running 40 mpw eek!!!)

You'll probably notice a bit of a change in my weekly workouts- obviously it will incorporate more running (4-5 days per week) and less weight lifting/cross training. I'm going to really put my focus on running, so any cross training will be light- focusing on low impact cardio, upper body weights, and lots and lots of core work. Not to mention that I'm switching gyms at the end of this month (yep, I'm gonna be a Y girl!) so I can add in some yoga and swimming- pretty exciting! Also, following the running plan, my weeks now start with Saturday long runs and go Saturdays to Fridays.

This week's workout schedule:

Saturday- 5 miles
Sunday- rest day/stretch
Monday- 3 mile tempo/hills; spin
Tuesday- 2.5 miles, kickboxing
Wednesday- AM strength, PM 5 mile interval run
Thursday- 3 miles
Friday- AM strength/stretch

Weekly Mileage: 18.5


This week's quote:

"Sweat is just fat crying." 

---Thought that was hilarious! Have a great week!!! :)



Workouts... I hope.

This week's a little cray cray... here we goooo!

Monday- AM Strength; PM 3 mi run; spin
Tuesday- AM 4 mi run
Wednesday- AM Strength
Thursday- AM 4-5 mi run; PM painting/moving (that counts right?)
Friday- AM Strength; PM moving
Saturday- AM 6mi, all day moving
Sunday- All day- CLEANING (!!)

Let's pray I survive...

Work it out

Monday- AM strength training; PM 3mile run, spin
Tuesday- 5mile interval run: 800m fast, 800m regular pace x5
Wednesday- AM strength training; PM Boot camp
Thursday- 4m tempo run
Friday- AM strength training
Saturday- 6-8mile run

Quote of the Week:

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you only do it when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results."

2 days late and $.50 short

Happy Belated Birthday America!!!

...just a few days late, I've been busy (lazy). Please forgive me.

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I had a very low key weekend, which was really nice after all the traveling and excitement lately.

Friday night was seriously chill (read: boring)- Cory had some car trouble Friday morning and borrowed mine, so he came and picked me up from work and then we ran a few errands, headed to Mom's for a quick dinner, then came home and just hung out. (I think. That was too many days ago...obviously it was something ground breaking.)

Saturday morning, I met my regular running friends for a hot and humid and sweaty 6 miles. We started at 7am but the dang sun was already blazing! I hate to think what August is going to look like... 5am runs?

 I think not!

After I gave my skin a real nice salt treatment, Cory and I went and ran all over town (no, not on foot). I had a few birthday gift cards to cash in, and started looking at decorating projects/ideas for our new home! I can't believe how soon we're moving!! :) I'm soo excited! No, not about carrying our 2 sofas, recliner, washer and dryer, bedroom furniture, and TV down 3 flights of stairs.... but what else are men good for?! ;) I kid I kid... (sorta).

No complaining. Could be worse.

Saturday night, Cory and I went to dinner with his parents at one of our favorite places- El Cancun! We used to have a Thursday night tradition and went every week, but things have gotten ca-razy through the summer. I got my typical boring, naked, grilled chicken fajita salad- dang that thang's good!

After dinner, I got a really terrible migraine and (seriously) went to sleep at 7pm...and slept til 7am. Woops! I think either the sun drained me or I was dehydrated. I felt so bad for Cory, but I guess he managed to find something to do without me. This one time (last week) Cory took a "nap" from 5pm to around 9pm. When he woke up (oh wait, that's right... someone accidentally pushed his arm down so it would hit the coffee table and wake him up... accidentally) I whined about how he'd "left me" all night. He still laughs about that...says I'm a five year old that can't get left alone without some type of entertainment, like jugglers and clowns.

Sunday morning, I got up in the mood to work out, even though it was my planned rest day (weird, I know). So, I headed over to our apartment gym for about 50 mins on the elliptical, split up in increments of 10 minutes. Every 10 mins, I would stop and do 1 minute of burpees- made the workout go by incredibly fast! Plus, my dang feet always fall asleep on the elliptical. Does that happen to anyone else?!

After working out, me and Cory watched the closing statements for the Casey Anthony trial that we've been following for awhile now. And BTW, I'm not even going to go there because I'm literally sick over the verdict. I guess it's ok to kill someone but not okay to lie.

Sweet.

Glad all the murderers out there now know all they have to do is just hide their victims long enough so they decompose and get a really good lying lawyer.

Okay...vent over.

Sunday afternoon, my mom and I went shopping hunting for dishes for our new place, which was going to be her bday present to me. I had seen some online that I wanted, and of course they were no where to be seen in stores. I believe we covered and recovered every home store in 18 zip codes.

The only think I bought?

Half off K-cups from Belk. Sweet deal.

On the way home, I just freaking ordered them online- what I should have done in the first place.

Wanna see em? :)

They come in today!! Seriously, Macy's in on the ball.

After shopping, we headed to my in-laws for a 4th cookout. They know me too well and already had the veggie burgers sittin out! :) That seriously doesn't mean I ate healthy, though.

The amount of chips and white bean dip alone were probably enough for 14 people to live on for 32 days. Plus the cookie cake and ice cream...ohhh cookie cake. You complete me.

Oh, and wine? Yeah, sure, I'll take a bottle.

Chug that wine, Leebs!

Cory and his dad did a fantastic job entertaining us with their fireworks and karaoke. Who needs jugglers and clowns when we got these two?



Dear Lord.......yes he's trying to strike a match using his teeth.





After I tranquilized him.



Monday, since I had the day off, I met a friend to run what we thought was a 4.5 mile loop. Nottttt quite. 4.5 turned into 6.2 miles. Oh well, 10K done before 8:30am --not complaining. It was even hotter than Saturday- in order to prevent death by heat stroke, we stopped at a questionable gas station and drank water from the bathroom sink (not kidding).

After the run, I figured I hadn't quite had enough of the sun for one weekend and went to lay by the pool in Mom's neighborhood. Did I mention her pool has a deep end?

It goes all the way to 1 1/2 feet.

After attempting to get a sun burn (what's SPF?) I headed home, met Cory, then went to Chad and Page's so Cory could help him finish a project they'd been working on in the yard. Naturally, I stayed inside and caught up on Tetris (thanks for introducing that me to me Chad, you're a lifesaver).

Due to a crazy rain storm, they're project came to a quick halt and we headed over to Cory's parents to eat cookout leftovers (more bean dip and cookies? don't mind if I do).

And that, my friends, concluded the weekend. I'm most likely talking (typing) to myself at this point in the novel, but that's ok. This week hasn't had anything exciting happen...yet. I'll keep ya posted.

Livin the High Life

This week is just a flyin by! I guess I assumed it would drag since I was on vacation last week, but thankfully its rockin!! This week has been pretty bussssyyy but so, so great!!! Here's my workout schedule for this week- sorry it's just now coming up!

Monday- AM Group strength training; PM- brick work: 3 mi run, spin class

Tuesday- 1 mi warm up, 45 mins on elliptical during lunch

Wednesday- AM Group strength training; PM Boot camp (new instructor= HARD)

Thursday- Rest! :)

Friday- AM Group Strength training

Saturday- 6+ mile run

Sunday- Rest

Want to know what really sucks??? That I took ONE week off from strength training while I was at the beach (while still running everyday) and I already lost strength. During my AM group strength tranings this week, I've still used the same weight as normal, but geeeeeeez am I SORE!!! I kinda like it though.. means I'm doin something right, right? :)

Want to know what really doesn't suck???

GAMECOCKS WINNING THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! Loooove my Gamecocks!! :)



This has definitely been a high light of the week. Another highlight??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE!! :)

I feel so blessed by all of the sweet people in my life that have taken time to wish me a Happy Birthday today! Thank you!!!

Today is also one of my favorite co-worker's last day of work before retirement. So, we're all headed to a local restaurant after work for a farewell celebration Happy Hour. Afterwards, I'm meeting my whole family for dinner at Outback! I can't tell you the last time I ate there, but I'm pretty excited!!! Craving that bread!! :)

Another highlight??

My wonderfully amazing husband got a promotion this week!!!!! Wooooo hoooo!! Sooo proud of you, Cory! :) You deserve it and so, so much more!

What a hottie.

Want Another?

We officially reserved our new town home! We move at the end of July!!!!! I went and toured it just to make sure everything was good, and since then, I've probably spent a good 46 hours on potterybarn.com. I'm clinically obsessed with Pottery Barn. How do they just make it look so good?? I've gotten some really good DIY ideas and can't wait to get started! Our living room/bed room is coastal/nautical themed, which I love, so I'm wanting to stick with that theme and amp it up some. Here are a few ideas I have so far-



I'm planning to make a version of this myself- incorporating our colors and maybe a few pieces of cork, and painting faded coastal images on the wood slabs to hang in our living room.

We have solid chocolate colored sofa/love seat but I love the cream with it- so I'm thinking of getting some cream throw pillows. Also, LOVE the lantern + the candle/rope inside and the lantern on the wall!

Here's one I found online that I like:



Too bad they're $79.... booooo



I'm still unsure what our kitchen theme will be, but I really like this and am thinking about making one with an "H" on it:

I'm sure there will be many, many more ideas to come! Plleeeaassee let me know if you have any! :)

Hope everyone has a great day!! 

Workouts 6/13-6/19

Here is the tentative schedule for the week, hoping to get it in! :)

Monday: AM Weight training (workout tab updated!)
              PM: 3 mi recovery run: Mile 1= 9:15; Mile2= 8:40; Mile3=8:20
              Spin

Tuesday: 3-4 mi run

Wednesday: AM Weight training; 3-4 mi run

Thursday: 5-6 mi run

Friday: AM Weight training

Saturday: Hoping for a few miles in the AM before the wedding!

Sunday: Riding in the car for 8 hours doesn't count as exercise, but it sure does equal exhaustion!


Quote of the Week:
"Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not."

—Virgil Garnett Thomson

June 6-12 Workouts

Monday:
AM Group Strength Training
PM 2 mi speed run; Spin class

Tuesday:
AM run: 4-5 miles

Wednesday:
AM Group Strength Training
PM Boot Camp

Thursday:
AM run: 4-5 miles

Friday:AM Group Strength Training

Saturday:
5k or 10k Lake Wylie Splash Dash (haven't decided which to do yet!)

Sunday:
Rest!       


This week's quote:

How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar. – Trina Paulus

5/23- 5/29 Workouts

Monday: AM- Strength Training
                PM- 1.5 mile speed run before Spin class

Tuesday: Rest Day (Cory has the day off, may go on a walk/swim)

Wednesday: AM- Strength Training
                      PM- Boot camp

Thursday: 5 mile run

Friday: AM Strength Training

Saturday: 6-8 mile morning run

Sunday: Pi-Yo

This Week's Quote:
"It's never too late to be what you might have been."
      -George Elliot

3/16-3/22 Workouts

I'm a little late posting this, this week!

Monday: Day after Half Marathon- Complete Rest Day
Tuesday: Rest day #2 + stretching (Hurt my foot during the race and it is still very tender & swollen)
Wednesday: AM Strength Training
                      PM 60 mins on spin bike (Foot still swollen and hurting)
Thursday: 4-5 mile run
Friday: AM Strength training
Saturday: 6 mile run
Sunday: Yoga

The workout page and recipe page have been updated!

Weekly Quote:

"With the proper motivation, that is, a good reason for wanting to do it,

 your mind can overcome any sort of adversity."

 -Franz Stampfl, running coach

RACE WEEK WORKOUTS

My second Half Marthon is this week!!!  Here's my schedule for the week:

Monday- 3mi recovery run, Yoga
Tuesday- 1m warm-up, 3.5m tempo run, 1m cool-down
Wednesday- AM PT, Boot camp
Thursday- 3m easy run
Friday- AM 2m easy jog; leaving for VA at noon!
Saturday- Complete Rest/stretching/foam rolling
Sunday- Fredericksburg Historic Half Marathon!!!

This week's Quote:


It's a long, hard road and it's going to have its bumps; there are going to be times when you fall and times when you don't feel like going on anymore, times when you're just crazy tired but it takes focusing on that one step you're taking. That's what I'm trying to do with the marathon; I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment.
-Ryan Hall on running a marathon

Skipped School

Every Monday night for as long as I can remember (ok, for the last year and a half) I've left work and gone straight to Omni where I do some kind of light cardio until my spin class at 6pm. I usually look forward to this class and can count on it as a big calorie burner. Yesterday? I just totally wasn't feeling it.

Typically if I don't feel like going, I try not to think about it and before I know it, I'm huffing and puffing away on a bike. But, last week I left spin in a really bad mood- so not like me after a hard workout and I was totally dreading going back yesterday. I don't know if it's that a dark, cold, closed off room is unappealing while the sun is still shining or that I'm just annoyed with the same 'ole same 'ole but I decided to give myself a break. I reevaluated and tried to think of a workout that would make me happy.

Yep, you guessed it. A run outside. Since I ran 12 on Saturday, I didn't want to push too hard since this is supposed to be my "recovery run" so I ran a nice 3 miles at ~8:45 pace around my apartment. Afterwards, I felt a teensy bit guilty for skipping school and decided I needed to get in a bit more, so I headed for my apartment gym for 20 mins of elliptical + 15 mins bike. It felt SO. GREAT. to get out of my routine, exactly what I needed!

After a shower (okay, I'm lying I didn't shower... I just didn't want you to think I was a walking disgust, like I am) I made some homemade peanut butter and then started on dinner- one of mama's recipes. Have I mentioned just how AMAZING my mom is? She made me a homemade cook book with all her recipes that she cooked for us while we were growing up. That thing I said about learning to cook, you can blame her.

Anyway, I picked out one of my favorites- red beans and rice. I think this was my first time cooking it and (per usual) Cory was a little skeptical of my newest concoction  recipe. But, he loved it! AND went back for seconds! AND asked for it to be on the menu again! SUCCESS! Recipe will on on the recipe page soon!

Ingredients for Red Beans and Rice

Breakfast this morning was 2 egg whites on a slice of whole wheat with coffee; sweetened with sugar-free vanilla creamer and 1/2 Splenda, 1/2 Stevia (trying to ween myself off Splenda and switch to Stevia)
~150 cals

I worked up a morning hunger and had a snack around 10am- my favorite Kashi flavor! (120 cals)

For lunch today I enjoyed a Boca burger (original flavor) on a whole wheat Thomas English Muffin with a slice of pepper jack cheese and a local pear. The pear was easily the highlight of my lunch! I bought it yesterday at our town's fresh market and it was sooo good! Also had a big ole bottle of water. (350 cals)

Just finished my afternoon/pre-run snack of a Pure&Simple Energy Power Bar , Roasted Peanut flavor. Typically, I don't like to eat more than one "pre-packaged" snacks in one day, but I forgot my afternoon snack and ran to grab something during my lunch break. The Power Bar was pretty good! Definitely something I would buy again, 140 calories and 5g protein.

Going for a 6 mi run after work then home to make either a taco pie or salad+sweet potato (can't decide.....)
 :) Have a great night!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a faaaantastic weekend! Mine was just jammed packed with fun! I kicked off Friday with the Royal Wedding (yes, I got up at 5am to catch the first glimpse of Kate's dress!) then high-tailed to my AM strength training sesh where I literally got beat up... I was too busy straining my neck to watch the wedding to retain any of what we did, so sorry there's not an update on the Workout Page. I just remember lots of uphill treadmill sprints and something with a weighted ball that left my arms keeelling me on Saturday.

After a looong day of work, I headed to home to enjoy the evening with some cute boy that was waiting for me in my apartment. I washed some unmentionables (running shorts) for the next morning and we headed out to get some food. The weather was fantastic so we wanted to sit outside. Since we have a problem agreeing on out-to-eat food, we settled for getting food to-go and went and sat on Mom's backporch. I got a mini mozzarella/spinach pizza from Donato's and Cory got Hibachi Chicken from Hibachi (creative name).

We ate and enjoyed the sunset then headed home and went to sleep at 9:15. That is not a lie or even an exaggeration. We're simply paaaa-thetic. Is it bad that we're under 25 years old and make vows to each other like "promise tomorrow night we can try to stay up til 11?!" Because that happens. A lot.

But, there was a perfectly good reason excuse for it- we were both up and kickin' by 6am. Cory had to work and I had a scheduled 12-mile long run. The weather outside was simply perfection. God created that morning with his bare hands. The sun was beaming, not a cloud in the sky, 0% humidity and about 60 degrees. I had my usual pre-run breakfast; whole wheat English muffin with 1tbsp natural peanut butter and 1/2 banana. (~250 cals) I tend to limit my liquid consumption before long runs because I get serious pee anxiety. What would I do? Use a bush? No, thanks. So I try to only drink enough to not die of thirst from my breakfast. Now, the day before a long run is another story- you can just call me Nemo.

I met up with some friends from my Fort Mill Fast Feet group; ran the first 6 miles with about 7 people and then split off from the group with 2 others to finish with 12. It was an amazing run. I was so thankful to be out enjoying the morning. Part of our route is out in peaceful farmland with rolling hills; I can't describe just how amazing it was!

After finishing, I ran to a gas station, changed clothes, grabbed some waters and a protein bar and headed for the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. One of my best college friends, Shae, (a bridesmaid in my wedding) and a few of her friends came in town to go whitewater rafting. Shae's birthday was last weekend and we're trying to make a tradition of doing something "crazy" each year for her birthday. Last year, we went skydiving!!!

(BTW, sorry I don't have pics, I'll work on this, in the meantime, use your imagination) The Whitewater Center was so much fun! We got to "jump" off a 2-story platform (supposed to be a "free-falling experience" but the harness kind of slowed you down), waterwater raft, bask in the sun with local brews and mountain bike!

That's not me... taken from here since I'm lame and didn't bring my camera

It was so fun to spend time with Shae, I hadn't seen her since my wedding (!!!) Unfortunately, because Cory had to work, he wasn't able to join us. Bummer to the max. BUT, right as we were coming off the mountain bike trails, GUESS who I see?! Cory! He showed up as soon as he got off work... what a little sneaker!

Once we left, Cory and I headed home to shower + get dressed and met back up with Shae and her friends at a little brewery in Uptown Charlotte called Rock Bottom. I enjoyed a glass of wine and catching up while Cory played pool with some of the guys. We called it a night and headed home, I was simply exhausted!

And...apparently I literally WAS exhausted because I slept for 11 hours. Yes, eleven. Like, one less than half a day. Geez. I guess I really needed the sleep, but I absolutely hate wasting a day sleeping. We took Anney for a sleepover at Mom's Saturday night so I guess not having a little furry alarm clock is part of the reason I was able to sleep so late. Once we finally rolled out of bed, we cleaned the apartment and did boring errands, like grocery shopping during the day and then got ready for a celebratory dinner!

Congratulations to my wonderful brother-in-law, Tony, for graduating college from Ashford University!! I know he put in a lot of time and effort -while working full time- and we're all so proud of him! We had dinner at Chili's with my family, Tony's grandparents + aunt/uncle, Page and Julie! It was a great ending to the weekend! I got the Margarita Chicken (grilled chicken with pineapple on a bed of wild rice + black beans) with a diet coke + strawberry Graduation Cake.

Cory and I came home and watched our my favorite Sunday Night Shows- Desperate Housewives and Brothers&Sisters. Well, we tried to watch Brothers&Sisters but were interrupted with the HUGE news of Osama Bin Laden being killed. I sure am proud to be an American! A great, big, huge thanks to all of our troops!

Scheduled Workouts: May 2nd-8th

Monday:

• AM Group Stength Training
• 3 mile recovery run
• PM Spin Group X Class

Tuesday:

• 6mi speed interval run

Wednesday:

• AM Group Strength Training
• PM Bootcamp

Thursday:

• 1 mi warm up, 3 mi tempo, 1 mi cood down

Friday:

• AM Group Strength Training

Saturday:

• 8 mile long run

Sunday:

• Rest

Date Night= 5 restaurants, a screamer and a breakup...

Last night, after my boot camp class, Cory and I were out running around and at about 8pm the hunger hit. Hard. I got kind of light headed and needed food ASAP. So, I politely told Cory (ha) that I needed to eat. His response?

 "OH GOD! OKAY... WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?!!? WHAT'S THE CLOSEST!?"

Just a little FYI about me.. I'm kind of weird. See, when I get hungry...I get "hangry." Really. Ask my husband.... ok, maybe you shouldn't. You probably wouldn't read my blog anymore.

So, I'm a pretty extremely picky out-to-eater. I don't like fast food (with the exception of Chic-Fil-A...char grilled chicken sandwich mmm) and I'm really picky with other restaurants. I know that most places pack in the calories in seemingly healthy dishes. For example, McCallister's Grilled Chicken Salad has nearly 900 calories. [WHERE do they come from?! Are they frying their lettuce??]

The decision of where to eat usually comes from places I trust are healthy (and know what to order) or places that post nutrition information and I have time to look it up. BUT, when I'm starving all that planning goes out the door and I get frustrated with thinking and just want food.

I suggest Peppers, a deli-like restaurant (that posts nutrition online, per my handy iPhone) that neither of us have been to that was just down the street. We drive there, see that's it's packed and decide to try somewhere else. So Cory suggests going back to Nishi G's... I know they have whole wheat wraps and plain grilled chicken. Bingo.

We drive about 10 mins...again P.A.C.K.E.D. I'm talking no where to park. Another no-go. I knew of another deli down the street, Penn Station, that I heard was good. I figured I could order a  turkey sub on whole wheat and just get on with life.

So, Cory (who is keeping his anger/frustration with me hidden inside) and I go in. I ask for turkey on wheat and the cashier stops me in my hungry tracks. "Umm... we only have WHITE." With a disgusting attitude and the dirtiest look she could produce.

Remember that thing I said about being "hangy?" Well, I blame that... I gave her an even dirtier look, told her we'd be eating somewhere else and walked out. I don't know if Cory apologized for me, but I wasn't waiting around to see (the joys of marriage).

We were back to square one. Cory then suggested "Little Caesar's! Kris, it's $5 for a large pizza (!!!!) " By this point, I'm feelin bad for my poor husband and am contemplating eating my hand. So when he says pizza, I think back to a place near our apartment, called "Stone Pizza." I know they have fresh ingredients and you can personalize your pizza, so I suggest it. Cory's thrilled... thinking we're finally gonna eat! We pull into the parking lot, practically run to the door.

Closed.

The food gods were obviously against us.

 Just as we were about to give up on life and starve to death, we see it. Those beautiful glowing yellow neon lights. Charanda's.

We didn't need to ask each other, a look settled it. That's where we were going. We got a table and literally plunged into the chips. Ahhhh, so this is what Heaven feels like. We quickly ordered- Veggie Fajitas on corn tortillas for me, and Beef Tacos for my hot boyfriend. We were in such a rush to order that we didn't notice our surroundings until we'd eaten a basket of chips and had 2 refills of diet coke. On one side of our booth was (the most adorable) baby boy... screaming his head off. He wasn't crying. He was literally SCREAMING. And the more me and Cory laughed, the louder he got. His parents just loved that he was entertaining us.

On the other side, was a couple breaking up. It was immensely awkward to overhear. Apparently, he cheated on her and was denying it, telling her she needed to "filter this shit." It took some will power (and threats from Cory) to not turn around and tell him what a d-bag he was.

Oh, and did I mention we were sitting outside with 70mph winds? It was romantic.

Despite our surroundings, we got our food, wolfed it down much too quickly and rolled each other out of there. Luckily we just had a 30 second drive to our apartment where we promptly planted our beyond-full selves on the couch to catch up on The Voice.

All in all, it was a perfect romantic night. Ha, hardly. C'est la vie!