Victory Cry

More like a theme, or better yet and anthem!

Workout: 4.16 miles / 45 minutes TM

I have an affinity for 80s soundtracks, my iPod is full of them. Top Gun, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, St Elmo's Fire, tend to be on every playlist I make. After a nice relaxed run and I was starting my cool down the Top Gun Anthem came on my iPod. (My life would not be the same without the shuffle feature) It was almost as if my ipod knew i had completed my goal and I myself was being inducted into the fighter pilot elite. (I am almost positive my ipod knows better.)

I have a codependent relationship with my ipod, there are very few places it doesn't go with me. I charge it, keep it full of audio and it makes sure I am entertained at all times. (It was even clutch when my phone died/jammed on April 15th in Boston, I was able to find wifi and get messages to friends and family) If I don't have it or it isn't charged enough, my workout will be rescheduled.

Depending on my surroundings dictates how loud my ear buds are. At the gym, full blast, I am hardly in the mood to be social. Outside, usually I just want to hear it but also be aware of my surroundings, getting run over isn't high on my list of things to do.  I also like to be able to hear the nice things going on around me like, the surf on the beach or birds chirping.

Me waiting patiently to walk across home plate after the Run to Homebase 2011 (notice the armband, I took the ipod out so I could take pictures inside the park)

I also made a special playlist for this run. (My Hero - Foo Fighters comes to mind)

I know Apple has algorithms to play songs that you listen to more than others, sometimes frustrating when I am in the mood for something I haven't heard in a while, but I comes in handy.  Sometimes I think it knows exactly what I am in the mood for. Some might chalk it up to my brilliant ability to put together a playlist. (Gavin might disagree, since he is always asking me to tweek his gym mix, I say, "if you don't like Holding out for a Hero for the 50th time, then you should take it off your list.")

I take pride in my playlists, if and when we hire a DJ (Most likely we will for our wedding) that poor person is just going to get a list of songs to play and a whole lot of "Do Not Play."

crappy weather + crappy TV = me on the couch

(Warning: This post is full of excuses and no follow through)

It might have started with the trip to the beach Sunday.  Gavin and I met up with my buddy Amy at the beach on Sunday.  I was already not feeling 100% since the day before, just a general feeling of blah.  Hydration is usually my go to cure all. Although, I think there was some over compensation with the sports drinks.

Then there was a huge dose of vitamin D. I do it to myself, I love the beach Gavin and I make a point to go when we can. (Yes, we were sunblock.) I am beat!

Waking up on Monday... I could barely muster the energy to make it to the gym yesterday. "Ugh, alright I will go in the morning" So much for that, the weather didn't help, but I also had to finish watching the Bachelorette before Gavin got up. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, but this season is pretty good. (Judge if you must)

I like to get up an hour before I have be at the gym to relax, have a cup of coffee and breakfast. This morning I actually took a nap before hopping in the shower to get ready for work.

Moral of the story... I have been lazy and I haven't gone to the gym in a few days.

Tomorrow is another day, with less excuses. I am also looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Inappropriate Laugher… not the first time

We had reserved a camp site this weekend, but then found out that  monsoon was on its way, so we rescheduled the trip until August. Saturday turned into the usual of watching the HGTV and making our way over to the gym.

Workout: 50 minutes / Elliptical

Not gonna lie, didn’t put a 100% into it, but according to runkeeper I hit some new records.
Achieved new personal records for elliptical activities:

• Distance in a week
• Duration in a week
• Calories burned in a week

I think it has more to do with me not spending as much time on the elliptical in the past. I have really been kicking it up a notch when it comes to the cross training while I am in wait for the gift card.

Who uses the mail anymore? Marathon Sports and my mom.

They also might be the last company that uses hand written gift cards. Holding back on the judgment in a very digital world.  Hell, I get impatient with the idea of ordering something online. Must have right now will pay for gas and higher prices to have things instantly.  I have thought of just biting the bullet and buying shoes, but I am cheap. In the mean time I just keep signing up for races.

I would like to give a shout out to the Nerdist Podcast with Timothy Olyphant it was very entertaining. (Previously noted that I am a nerd)  Turns out while I was oblivious to all things around me besides the podcast in my ears, I was laughing out loud (I don’t use the acronym) at very inappropriate times. Gavin was iPod-less and was fully aware of all the horrible things showing on the news and the other people in the gym doing embarrassing things, so my laughter was perfectly on queue for all of those things. 

I laugh when I am nervous so it wouldn’t be the first time in laugh inappropriately.

Since we thought there would be a monsoon, we didn’t make plans to do anything Saturday, after the gym we decided to go for a walk.

Some highlights

our favorite beach to go to on the weekends

Oh and then there might have been some watermelon beer.

The joys of Summer TV

I am a total TV nerd and I have plenty of guilty pleasures.  I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy a good weight loss show. I am a long time fan of the Biggest Loser.  I guess ABC has joined the game but I am only just finding out about Extreme Weight Loss.  I like the fact that Chris Powell guides people for 365 days and there isn’t any one getting kicked out of the ranch. Who really needs, in my best Allie Sweeney voice, “A quarter of a million dollars”?

 

I was practically balling in my salad last night when I was watching the latest episode with Meredith, and her struggles with being put up for adoption.  I am not adopted, as much as my sister tried to convince me I was as a kid, I am just over emotional for people I have never met before.  As part of her journey to lose weight the trainer signed her up for a full marathon.  I was so inspired by her!  Still not sure a full in in the cards for me, but it definitely made my run this AM way easier. Not only did she run it with weight yet to lose, but she had a torn meniscus.

 

Workout:  TM 4.04 miles / 44 minutes

 

Then since it was National Donut Day (apparently June is full of National ‘Pick a thing to celebrate’ Days) I found myself the beneficiary of a free donut, what am I going to do just throw away food?

 

37 days until the 10K

120 days until the Half

Happy National Running Day

I felt a bit bad about not getting to the goal I set for myself, again time and eh, boredom. 4 miles complete if you add both together.

2-a-days Workout: 1.12 mile / 11 minutes

The beautiful vista...

Tomorrow is a day off... or did I just have one of those? 

Nap time?

It has become an Obsession

I have signed up for my first half, which inspired me to start this blog as the few of you reading my know.
Saturday I booked the flight to San Jose, where the Rock’n’Roll  (aka my very first) Half Marathon will take place.  This is getting real!

Workout: 3.42 miles / 37 minutes

Although I haven’t hit any significant distances why am I obsessed with  running more of them, I am so close to signing up for a second that I am starting to worry about my sanity.

Today is National Running Day, I actually planned so that running was in my schedule for today. Also, to celebrate the big day, the good people over at RnR have decided to give out $20 off your next race if you sign up today. I am on the verge.  I have been eyeing the Savannah one for weeks (Love that city), but it is pretty much a month after my first and I feel like that just might be too soon. Not to mention the logistics of getting down there and staying over. (The official Kibosh!)

That leaves St Pete, FL (2/9/2014) which would be a great winter get away or Washington, DC (3/15/2014) I am leaning towards DC. I can drive there, I have family a few hours away, and when I did my internship in DC I would run along the Potomac and LOVED every minute of it, even taking my lazy butt back home on the Metro. Lastly, Gavin might actually be able to take time off to go down with me.

Me being as touristy as possible! (I think I nailed the look)

Places I would love to run by… and I used to run by.

OK, so the MLK Jr Memorial didn’t exist in the days I interned there, but you can see TJ in the distance.

Do you think it is too soon to commit to something that far in advance?  Plus, what if I hate the whole half experience?

Even if the first one sucks they can only get better, right?

In other news I signed up for my first 10K the other day, part of the Narragansett Running Festival. Now if you are thinking the town in Rhode Island or the arch nemesis of my high school in field hockey team you would be mistaken. It is the beer company and I did it more for the after party than the actual run… although if I had known it was 2 loops around the Stonehill College campus.I might not have signed up. I get bored easily so looking at the same thing twice might not be as much fun as I thought.

Last obsession is the Ragnar Relay on the Cape.  I volunteered at it this past year where I managed to get a black eye.  (stunning self photography)


As much as I promise people not to share my black eye misfortune I can’t seem to get 11 other people as excited as I am to run 3 separate legs of 5-7 miles overnight through the mean streets of Cape Cod. Go Figure! (And when I say mean streets of the Cape, I am referring to the wild turkeys, I  hear they can really eff you up!) 12 people, 2 vans, 2 days and 1 night of running, what else could you ask for?  Oh and from what I saw, a whole bunch of crazy.

Look at the swag! (They double as bottle openers)

{Ragnar Cape Cod's Facebook page}

Who is with me? It is the first weekend in May 2014 SOOO much time to train.

No treadmills (sad face)

 I would like to start by saying, I wasn't feeling great Saturday morning. I put it out there, 4 slow miles were set for Saturday, then I got to the gym.

My gym is relatively small, just one of those apartment complex gyms that only has 4 treadmills, one of which is a little glitchy. (I like making up words) All 3 working treadmills were taken. So I went for the stationary bike. About 5 minutes into my bike ride I felt much better and kicked up my effort. The bike isn't a huge calorie blaster but great for cross training.

Some might say, just take it to the streets, why do I keep running inside. Well, my early summer allergies are brutal, it has been crazy hot and humid the past few days, and my sneakers are still the old ones and the treadmill adds a little extra padding. (Sounds like excuses... alright I will take the accusation)

Wanna see what I did yesterday?

Orange Leaf, my new obsession! It might not look appetizing but it was amazing.