Uncategorized

This best $5 you’ll ever spend.

| cheriarmour

If you’re like me, and the sluggish economy has taken its toll on your checking account, and you feel as if you’re being judged every time you have business to attend to at your local Wells (Ms. Armour, please insert your debit. ::lowers glasses, looks sadly at account balance::) buying a fancy high-priced lunch everyday just won’t work. So allow me to introduce you to the best $5 you will ever spend in your continuing quest to stay healthy and wealthy.

20130425-112958.jpg

So you could easily spend $10 at Whole Foods on a salad, especially if the spirit moves you to throw some eggs, some carrots, some dressing, and some cabbage on that thang. (They charge by weight). So last shopping trip, I invested in this Pyrex salad bowl Glad thing, some salad accouterments, and a little baby Tupperware for dressing. Enter the best and most economical lunch of life. I went nuts. Boiled some eggs. Threw a few croutons on it. Added some broccoli slaw. And went to town.

So in total you save money. You save the environment. And you’re enjoying a dank salad. My only admonishment? Don’t do what I did. I’ve eaten a salad for every lunch since like last weekend, and my body, in response to fiber overload, is extremely upset with me. Salad at your own risk. But invest in this thing and quit spending half your paycheck on overpriced salads!

I went to a pole fitness class. My review.

| cheriarmour

So we know that exercise is important for everyone, right?  But how to we get everyone addicted to it (in a healthy way, not a scary way), like, how do we get folks started?  I think you have to take what you really enjoy, and use that to jump you into working out.  Am I making sense?

Case in point.  I started going to Zumba classes with my younger sister when I was like 16.  I was instantly hooked.  We went every Tuesday afternoon that we could.  And I fell off of the Zumba boat when I went to college.  Toward the end of college, when I started feeling a little self-conscious about my body (I wasn’t working out or eating well at all)  I picked up going to classes again, and decided that I was going to get licensed.  And the decision to get licensed completely changed the trajectory of my life.  Zumba was my “gateway drug,” and I explored different class formats that I may not have even considered.  I yoga, I run, I run, I run, I cycle, I zumba, I dance, I lift, and I wouldn’t have begun to do any of it without Zumba.    

Pole fitness is the same for a lot of women.

I teach off-the-pole classes at a local pole fitness studio, Aradia Fitness in Cary, NC.  On this particular day last week, I was supposed to teach a Zumba class, and it was a perfect storm.  My classes are normally pretty packed, but no one showed up.  Not a soul.  It happens.  I’m not offended.  Heather, an extremely experienced pole dancer and teacher, invited me to stay at the studio and jump in on her Pole 1 class, an intro of sorts to pole fitness.  I was apprehensive.  I don’t know how to do any of that stuff, and what if the other girls laughed at me and told their friends that their Zumba instructor had transformed into a buffalo and crashed around the room, breathing heavily, and sweating all over everything?  But I figured it was nice of Heather to invite me, and instead of being a weirdo, I’d take her up.

First things first?  Heather is an incredible teacher.  I’m gonna toot my own horn here.  I’m a good teacher.  And it’s only because I learned from the absolute best.  I had Koh Herlong, I had Lindsay Gilvin, I had Austin Samples.  All great teachers.  Good teachers recognize it in others.  Heather had it.  We started with a cute warm-up, and as the class progressed, the workout turned a little more sexy.  Sexy walks, hip circles, hamstring stretches.  We took it to the floor.  Push-ups, more hip-flexor warm-ups, warm ups for our wrists, for our necks.  It was funny, everything Heather did and taught looked really sexy, especially when she did it, but everything had a purpose.

Next, we got on the poles.

Aradia

We started with a little dance, and each move was cued by Heather. Then, we did some pole work. Spins, climbs, and even some more advanced work. My poor knees were so banged up, but on the pole, my arms, my quads, and my legs were getting an awesome workout.  And the next day, my abs, my arms, and my legs were sore.  In a great way.

So my review?  If you’re having trouble getting motivated?  And you have the funds?  Try a pole fitness class.  It’s a great confidence builder.  Unlike other group fitness classes, there are no mirrors in the studios, and the classes are much smaller.  Where some of my classes have held upwards of 100 people, there were  about 6 of us girls, which allowed for individual time with the teacher, and if you’re feeling awkward, you don’t have to stare at yourself in the mirror.  Heather, speaking of, was so talented, and obviously had benefited from her time in pole fitness.  She was jacked!

So this place gets at A+ from me.  Facility is gorgeous, classes are great, and I felt so pretty after!  And if you’re feeling apprehensive, like you feel like you’re just going to some skanky stripping class, think again.  Every single move in the class had a purpose.  There wasn’t a dance, there wasn’t a spin, there wasn’t a move that didn’t have a specific purpose, which I only picked up on because I teach.  But to the untrained bod, you may just think you’re dancing around.  And hey, if you can burn calories just thinking you’re dancing around with 6 of your friends around a pole, then more power to your workout, right?

 

Runners for Boston

Image | | cheriarmour

Runners for Boston

So runners are an amazing breed. Most of us, anyways. We love to eat. We love dogs. We look good in a bikini. Even the boys. And we don’t tolerate being threatened especially well. Check out this sweet top we printed to benefit the victims of the bombing! I was so proud to wear it and more than happy to answer any questions folks had about it. Love it?

Adventures in Asheville

| cheriarmour

So, to make this crazy week even crazier, I headed up to Asheville, or more specifically, Marshall NC for a bachelorette gathering at a cabin.  I tried to record everything, at the very least, with my eyes so I could bring it to you.  You’ll feel like you were there gurl!  Werq!  So after a super stressful week, and a loooong rainy drive by my lonesome, I rolled into the Asheville area…and promptly got lost.  So I had to stop somewhere to get directions right?  I stopped at a gun shop, a GUN SHOP, for directions.  And  though I was frightened out of my mind, and stuck out like a sore thumb (I was wearing a bright pink printed dress, and everyone in the gun shop was smoking cigs and wearing camo everything,) they were the nicest people I’ve ever met.  Because of how remote the area was, my cell phone and my GPS wasn’t working, and the folks at the gun shop (?!) looked up the cabin on the computer, and offered to lead me to where it was.  But I found it!  And look how cute it was!

cabin 1
Cedar Creek Cabin. Look it up! It’s rentable!!

We spent the first night hanging out, talking, and sitting in the hot tub (which felt amazing on my hip flexors, which for any of you who run, know can get horrifically tight). I couldn’t pass up a run in Asheville, and I woke up the next morning, totally ready to bust out a few miles and explore the area around me. My first issue though? Asheville is freezing in comparison to Raleigh, and I had to layer on top. No big though, I trained in the dead of winter. So I piled on the clothing, and began my trek up the mountain.

mountain

You guys saw this the other day. But I’m reposting. This stopped me in my tracks as I ran up this windy two-lane.

cabin 4

I headed up, I headed down, and tried to get some of that fresh mountain air as deeply down into my lungs as I could. I was hoping to absorb some of the calm of the mountain. Fun fact.  Everyone lives in teeny cabins adorned with “No Trespassing  signs.  Can anyone tell me why this is?  But seriously, if you’re in Asheville, definitely run.  It’s stunning.  It’s calming.  It’s just what I needed.

cabin 6

Wine!!!! We hit up the wine shop, and it had a nifty machine that allowed us to taste a bunch of stuff.

cabin 2

This is the Bridal Party! (We’re a progressive group, if you’re wondering about a guy being there. Andrew’s been with us since the beginning.)  He’ll probably be in mine, too.

cabin 5

That’s the bride on the far right.

Asheville was gorgeous.  Not only that, we ate some delicious food, and I’m pretty sure that the food was the best part about the entire city.  We hit the Laughing Seed First, an establishment with incredible veg options.  It’s wonderful to see that vegetarian food can actually be prepared so that it has incredible flavor.  And that’s not super hard to find, however, it’s a common misnomer that vegetarians only eat beans and grass.  Not so.  You can’t go wrong with anything on that menu.  Check them out here.  http://laughingseed.jackofthewood.com/We also hit the Blackbird Restaurant for dinn, and again, I was blown away by how they could shove so much flavor in a cup of soup.  Again, you can’t go wrong.  Hit them here. http://theblackbirdrestaurant.com/  (My only complaint with that last place is the bird decor.  I find birds to be terrifying.)

Finally, I don’t know why life does this to you.  But I’ve been talking myself out of getting a dog until I have more space for years now.  Years.  So we’re walking around downtown Asheville, and this dog on a blue leash just looks out me.  I instinctively crouched to pet him, and began talking to him in the voice I reserve for my pets.  “Hiiiii babe!!”.  He jumped into my arms and gave me in the biggest, sloppiest kiss I’ve ever had.  And I loved it.  So the woman walking him goes, “He’s up for adoption!  I’m just walking him right now!”  So what do I do?  His name is Zach, and I’m pretty sure he wants me to be his mom.  Ugh.  Decisions.

cabin 6

Okay, so enjoy my pics, and next time you’re in Asheville, take a run, take me with you, and pick up Zach and bring him home to Mama!

I know I’ve been MIA.

| cheriarmour

Shoutout to my adorable girl, Sam Cibelli, for allowing me access to her computer while I’m out here in the mountain.  More on that later.

This week has been dreadful.  But I’m beyond happy that the second suspect in Boston bombings was captured.  That said, I’ll reserve comment until we find out what’s really happened.

I’m in Asheville right now for a bacherlorette party, more specifically, the bustling metropolis of Marshall, NC, and of course, we run where we travel, right?  I’ll save the big post for later, but to say the least, this town is gorgeous.  And after this week, it’s nothing short of a blessing to be able to run without the fear and anxiety surround the fact that there was a psychopath terrorist on the loose.  I felt like, for the first time since Monday, that I could run without a weight on my chest.

So here’s a preview for the big Asheville post….

mountain

I’m a Scorpio, so the sound, the sight, and the smell of water has a magical calming effect on me. But the pictures don’t do it justice. I can’t to share this with you.

This entire week has been a hot mess.

| cheriarmour

A hot mess.  The universe is off-kilter.  Between Monday’s horrific tragedy in Boston, and continued weird events throughout the week, I am 100% confident in saying, that we all could use a vacation.  And a hug.  And a smile.

And knowing that the universe was acting strangely, I forced myself to run yesterday.  And usually when I do this, it  ends well.

My first mistake?  It was over 80 degrees, kinda humid, and I was wearing Nike Dri-Fit Capris.  “Oh, it’ll be fine, these hot capris will keep your chub from rubbing!”  False.

Then, I drank enough liquid to solve the clean water crisis in Africa.  I was thirsty!

Third?  I really didn’t feel like running.  Not I was just being lazy.  I really wasn’t feeling it!  But sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between laziness, and your body telling you to chill.  Learn to tell that difference.  So you won’t be a mess like me.

I set out on a short run before I had to teach a class yesterday.  And I began my gallop down the sidewalk with the grace of a Holstein Cow.  Took a few more steps.  And the liquid began to slosh around in my belly.  My pace fluctuated as wildly as my breathing did.  Sweat began to drip into my eyes.  And all I could think was.  “Shucks.  This is a bad run.”

It was a bad run.  Really bad.  I haven’t felt so defeated since I began to run.  And you know what you do when you have a bad run?  Drop it low, do a dance, be grateful you’re not injured, take a day off, and revisit running when you feel up to it.

Bad runs happen.  You’re emotionally drained.  You’re physically exhausted.  Your girlfriend just dumped you.  You lost your house.  You’re going through a divorce.  And your body is like. “Nope.  I need to expend energy grieving and repairing myself, not messing around here in this hot weather, inappropriately dressed.”  At that point, it’s tempting to push yourself harder, and try and redeem yourself, prove to yourself you can run.  You can.  You know it.  You’ve run 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons, marathons.  You need a break.  So when a bad run happens to you, (and it will, because you’re a human being), take it in stride.  Take a day off.  Come back when you feel ready to come back.  Dress a little more appropriately.  And do your thing a little better and smarter next time.

 

I woke up Monday morning…

| cheriarmour

…excited, like it was Christmas!  I mean, it was Boston Day!  The best day of the year for so many! And one of our teammates was running, and was nervous to finish.  (He finished with flying colors, btws, and we never doubted he could do it for a second).  And by the end of the day yesterday, we were devastated.  I don’t need to repeat what happened at the finish line at Boston about 4 hours into the race on Monday, I’m sure you’ve heard.  But I feel like we all need to pause, and take stock in what we have.  I want to take a second, be absolutely corny, and say this.

I am grateful for those of you who’ve read and commented on this blog.  Your support keeps me going.

I am grateful for my job and my work friends.  We squabble like a little family, but we love each other.  You make going to work a pleasure.

I am grateful for running.  It’s changed a lot for me.

I am grateful for my family.  I am more grateful since my Mom’s been sick.

I am grateful that Kerry Seal, our teammate, is coming back from Boston safe and sound.

I’m grateful for Zumba, Yoga, and however it is I choose to move.  It keeps me calm.

I could go on for days.  But you’d probably get sick of it.

Race Shirt

So here’s my race shirt, showing my Boston folks a little support.

And I leave you with this – a Russian children’s folk song that’s gotten me through a few rough days.

May there always be sunshine,

May there always be blue skies,

May there always me Mama,

May there always be me.

Race Review! Run Raleigh Half Marathon!

| cheriarmour

I think by now, I’ve figured out, that though I work okay without the pressure of a race coming up, I do a little better when I have a race breathing down my neck.

I hadn’t planned to run the Run Raleigh Half Marathon, but a friend of mine decided she couldn’t run it, and generously allowed for me to take her place.  And it’s a good thing, I still have the Nike Women’s Half in two weeks, and it kept me on track with a long run this weekend.  And gosh, I needed that long run.

Time

I have stress dreams. So I dreamt all night that I’d overslept the race. But, my mom’s been sick, and I dreamt that she, on the way to the race, took my hand, and jogged with me to the start line. (One day Mommy, you’re totally gonna do it!)

I ate the breakfast of champs, Nutella on toast with a Gatorade Primer, Rock Taped my hips, and watched Sean T’s hip-hop abs infomercial for a while. (I love for a good infomercial).

Bafroom

I put on my compression pro-tight (rocked my world), and my Brooks mesh tank (doubly rocked my world), and set off for the start line, which was about a mile from my house.

Back

I mean, on the real, how cute is the back of that top?

Okay, onto the race review.  

Run Raleigh Half Marathon 2013:

I give the race an A- overall.  Lemme break it down.

  • Packet pickup was seamless.  Packet pickup was at Capital Run/Walk, a local running store.  I’m more of a Fleet Feet Raleigh girl 😉 but I’d be lying if I said the store wasn’t beautiful, and the volunteers weren’t friendly as could be.   
  • The race was extremely well organized.  I walked to the site, and was easily able to find the start, find the pacers, find out where I was supposed to be, and all that good stuff.  For folks that are down with  Port-a-Potty, there were like a million lined up to start.  Heads up: if you’re driving to the race?   You share those parking lots with a Starbucks, a Rite-Aid, and a Harris Teeter.  What I’m saying is, these businesses don’t love it when you park in their lots, but you’re not shopping.  If you’re driving, park respectfully, or have someone drop you off at the start line.
  • The race started on time.  You don’t know how important that is.
  • The volunteers.  They were the rock stars of the entire operation.  The volunteers were well-trained, friendly, smiling, and handled the water stops with ease.  They were wonderful.  If any of the volunteers are reading this?  Seriously, thank you.  You guys rocked.
  • The course.  Okay, here’s where the minus part comes in.  The course was pretty.  We had home-court advantage, so the hills weren’t a surprise.  We used Greenway (which was so cool!), and the miles just flew by.  Here’s the minus.  There is the rudest hill at 12.1 miles that will have you praying for salvation.  I ran with the 2 hour  pacer, and nearly lost him at that hill.  And my glutes are talking today, they didn’t like that hill, either.

Overall? If you’re looking for a pretty spring race to do? Do this one? Beware of that hill at 12 miles, but other than that, you’re in for a really really enjoyable 13.1 mile ride!  On a more personal note, I’m proud of how consistently I was able to maintain a 2-hour pace, despite a pretty hilly course.  I certainly need to work a little harder, I’d like to hit below 2:00 now, but I’m proud of my work yesterday.

Y’all know I can see the keywords you’ve used to search my blog, right?

| cheriarmour

So let’s lighten things up up a bit, shall we?  Yesterday’s topic was a little heavy, so I promised, I’d give you something to make you smile.  And boy, will you ever.

So yous know I can see, from the back end, how some of you have searched my blog right?  And don’t let me deter you!  Search away!  read this thing.  Because I’m not writing over here for my classic good looks.  Now, some of the BEST search terms I’ve been notified you guys have used?  (And I will do my best to remain true to spelling and punctuation here, as it appeared)

  • “jennifer lopez with glasses”
  • “do they eat horse meat in haiti” (not to the best of my knowledge)
  • “gross things that happen to your feet after runnign”
  • “kim richards puff away” (a clear reference to my favorite television empire, the real housewives)
  • “does haiti get windy”
  • “why do haitian women like working out”
  • “amazing boob vixens” (I wish I was kidding here)
  • “what do breasts look like after breastfeeding” (I feel lost)
  • Pardon the language here, however, “good floppy t*ts sports bra” (Glad to know I am helping folks with with their *ahem* floppy ladies.)
  • “black lady graduating” (we are a rare breed)

And my personal favorite, remember, this is how someone searched for, and subsequently read our blog here…

  • “round ass butt”

You guys keep it up. I had a field day with this one. At your expense.