Happy Sunday!

I don’t think I’ve been so tired in a minute!

As I blog, I’m laying in bed at 10:57 pm on a Saturday night, so early because I want to run in the morning.  I’m headed home tomorrow after my run to attend to some family business, and I can honestly tell you guys, I have not been so tired in long time.  I’m tired.  My feet hurt.  I finally got my apartment clean after nearly a week of it looking like a small bomb detonated in here.  And all I’m hoping for is an early bedtime tomorrow at my parents’ house.

photo-2To ease you into this week, I give you, this hot hot pic of my heiny, lookin’ oh so fabulous in my winter tights as I foam roll my hip, which has been talking to me since I taught 2 classes kinda of sick early this week.  I think I was trying to compensate for the fact that I didn’t feel well by dancing the hardest I could and flopping about like Beyoncé when I knew good and well that each mucusy minute, I felt that I was knocking at death’s door.

Nevertheless, I’m feeling far, far better, and I am attempting a 16-miler today prior to my drive to Charlotte.  Wish me luck, and I’ll chat with you guys after I get to Charlotte tomorrow!

 

Runner Pop Quiz

Happy Thursday afternoon, beautiful people!  Hope your runs are going well.  Mine are good, save for a little bit of a stuffy nose and a sore throat that I’ve been nursing.  But this hot and cold weather is good weather for getting sick in, right?

Anyhoo, remember pop quizzes?  I think the last one that I took was in religion sophomore year in college and the joke was on Tripp York cause I actually did the reading.   And I can actually recall what the reading was about – about Disney.  Scary.

So I stole this pop quiz from J at Skinny Chick Blog, but she said we could steal it, and she’s a runner too.  I kept the pink font in her honor.  Onto the quiz!  

1.  What weather do you refuse to run in?

I refuse to run when it’s icy out.  We don’t do ice too often here, the sidewalks never get cleared, and as someone who has (very painfully) broken a bone before, I have no interest in doing it again.  

2.  What distance is your “short” run?

My short run is this like, 3 miles loop through downtown Raleigh.  I think Jillian Michaels said one that 3 miles is what you need to stay fit, and I’ve always taken that to heart.  I always have 30 minutes to pop a 3 miler in.  

3.  How do you stay hydrated while running?  Water fountain, carry your own etc.

I carry my own, and sometimes stop at coffee shops and the Whole Foods to fill up my little bottle.  I haven’t worn my backpack in a long time, and I’m just not yet in the mood to wear it.  Handheld it is!  

4.  Music or no music?

Usually music.  Sometimes not if I need to be alone with my thoughts.  

5.  Do you ever run nekkid?  {Without GPS, not literally silly}

Sometimes. When I forget to charge my watch.  But I love it.  

 6.  What is the first thing you do after a run?

Grab some water, and walk the dog, since I know she’s usually been waiting on me for a while.  

7.  What’s your favorite running shoe ever?

You know what?  I’m kind of in a shoe rut.  I work for Fleet Feet, and I have every running shoe at my disposal, and I was a Brooks girl,  I’ve been a Brooks girl for a while.  But here’s me here….

photo-1

 

In a NB (and the review is coming soon!) and I’m still not sure which way I’m gonna go with shoes.  I’m running a half in March, and a full and a half April, and I need to figure it out ASAP, cause I don’t want to be without toenails!

8.  Do you make deals with yourself to finish a tough run?  What are they?

I think usually I just think about food and Austin to get me through the run.  I think about pasta, beer, toast, wine, beer, and my husband-to-be when I’m toward the tail end of a long run.

9.  Two things you can not run without besides kicks?

A good bra.  There’s nothing better than a good bra.  

Boobs!

 

Boobs!

10.  Running has helped me ___________.

Be confident in myself – who I am, my skills, my abilities.  I wouldn’t have had the balls to do a lot that I have in my life without running.  

11.  Are you following a training plan?  If so, what does your weekly routine look like?

I’m following the Hanson method.  Sunday I run long (but not longer than like 16). Monday I run 5, Tuesday a speed run that’s been adding up to like 8ish miles the last few weeks, Wednesday I take a break, Thursday I run 8 fast, Friday I run 5 easy, Saturday I run 5 easy and then I do it all over again.  Mama is TIRED, mmkay!

12.  Be honest, do you regularly stretch + foam roll post run?

I stretch.  And I foam roll a few times a week, but definitely not as much as I should.

So how’d you do on the pop quiz?  Feel free to lift it, answer one or two of these, or just drop in and say hi to me!

 

Speed Workout + Reader Question

A few awesome things today.

So remember that incredible dish I had at Pop’s on Sunday?  The fusilli pasta with the mozzarella?

I slimmed it down, cut some of the oils, and made my own version, and it turned out awesome?  The only downside?  I made enough pasts for like 24 people, and now I’m trying to pawn large amounts of pasta off on anyone who will eat food fit for human consumption.

Here’s the side-by-side – Sunday’s meal is on type.  Mine is on the bottom.

photo 4Mine looks a little “drier” because I skimped on some of those oils that can pack on calories.  But it definitely was tasting good!  Now who wants pasta?

Moving right along!

The weather was beautiful in North Carolina today, literally like 75 degrees.  So I dragged my boss down to the track for a speed workout.

photo 2It was nice to run on the track on a pretty day, and I’ve been working out on such hard surfaces recently, I forgot how nice it is to run on a soft, springy surface.  My body is totally thanking me today.

Today’s interval was a 1 mi. by 6, with a 400m recovery.  It was cool, and I ended up being able to squeeze like 8 miles out of the deal without even realizing!  That’s one of the beautiful aspects of speed workouts!

photo 3Okay, I usually never do this, but this is actually pretty funny.

Mile 1: 7:46 – hysterical, because I told my boss that the first mile would be a nice and easy one, just for us.  I started to feel so crappy during the mile, and I couldn’t figure out why.  Yeah, that would be why, I was running at ungodly (for me) speeds.

Mile 2: 7:59

Mile 3: 8:12

Mile 4: 8:09

Mile 5: 8:14

Mile 6: 8:14

The best moment?  When a woman who was also working out on the track turned to me as she was leaving, gave me the thumbs up, and told me that I was awesome.  I, being hyper-emotional because I was working out, completely burst into tears right there on the track.  Whatevs man, working out is beautiful.

And now, it’s time for the reader question!

I got a text a few days ago, from a reader asking about tying running shoes!

I’m forever confused about the different ways to tie running shoes and have just recently learned the tighter you tie isn’t actually the better (I was wondering why my feet were going numb).

So Kim (reader in question) is certainly not the only one.  I was beyond shocked when I borrowed my boss’ shoes for a run, and his shoes were snatched down to beyond an inch of their lives, and I’ve seen the same in a lot of folks who come into Fleet Feet.  A lot of folks will come in and complain of their feet going numb especially.

So here’s the deal, and the way I would suggest that you tie your shoes in order to be comfortable.

photo 1Take a gander at the feets.

So your shoes do not need to be super tight, nor do they need to be flopping off of your feet (something I’ve certainly been guilty of).  But if you’re one of those people who love that tight feel, but concerned because your feet go numb every run, I have a fun trick for you.  Tie your shoes normally.  Don’t squeeze the heck out of your feet.

Then, do this.  We’re gonna backlace your shoe (and keep the shoe from sliding around on your ankle).

See that top eyelet on the shoe that you’ve always wondered about?  We’re going to use it today.  Poke the right lace through the right hole and the left lace through the left hole.  So we’re making bunny ears.  Now cut straight across the top of your foot and pierce the opposite ear.  Same thing, pierce the opposite ear.  Then pull both laces straight up, and this will lock the shoe on your ankle without killing the top of your food.  Here’s how it’s gonna go in YouTube form.

Do itttttt.  Now remember, chill on the laces.  Do not get fixated on tying  them so tight that you see life flash before your eyes.  It’s unnecessary, and the last thing you want to be thinking about is how bad your feet hurt 10 miles in.

Anyhoo, I miss you guys, come visit me in the comments.

Tell me something, what’d you eat for dinner last night?  Pictures are welcome!

Here’s what! What three things are you obsessed with this week?

It’s Friday y’all, and time for my Here’s What!

In case you missed it the past few weeks, here are a few links.

1/31/14

2/7/13

And in case you’re still dumb (jk, jk), my here’s what is my “here’s what three things I’m obsessed with this week,” which I totally stole from Andy Cohen, my American Idol.  Andy, please, give me my own show!  I need it!!!  Okay, here goes though. 

Lake Street Dive. 

A friend tagged me in this video on the YouTube, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.

Rachael Price is that lead vocalist, and even though the show was totally sold out, I was able to purchase exactly one ticket.  I know a few friends are hitting the show too, so I should be able to try to find them, but yes, I love Lake Street Dive enough that I’m just going to go to this show solo dolo.

The weather.  

I promise, I’m not lame.  Which I have to say because I recognize that it’s pretty lame to be posting about the weather on my blog.  But it’s been disgusting, especially by NC standards, and I’ve been forced onto the treadmill more than I’d like this week.  Mid next week in good ol’ Raleigh, we will be well into the 70s here.  When we had a snow storm and people were abandoning their cars this week. It literally makes no sense.  But whatvevs, I’ll take whatever keeps me off the treadmill for a day or two.  Raise ya glass for 10 miles on Sunday!  Woohoo!

These Minnetonka Boots

1798801_10100273811496543_1882547200_nI blogged on these a few weeks ago, how I’d been dying for some to add to my collection, so imagine my surprise (delighted surprise), when Austin told me to close my eyes and open a shoe box?  They could not be more perfect!  Gah, they’re exactly what I needed!

So what three things are you obsessed with this week?  

Clark Howard, I’ll let you do your job, let me do mine.

During yesterday’s snow day debacle, where I literally spent the entire day inside, blogging, doing laundry, and cleaning.  I did not do any running, and for that, I feel extremely guilty.  [addendum to this post] I finally couldn’t take it anymore, and Austin and I put on our winter finest, and shuffle-ran to to local coffee joint, grabbed a cup, and shuffle-ran back.  My feet are very cold!

But anyhoo, when I was working on the blog and doing my usual scan of Facebook/Twtiter/Bloglovin, I came across this gem by Clark Howard.  Clark Howard, if you’re not familiar, is the resident financial guru on HLN, and he offers tips and tricks to “Save More, Spend Less, and Avoid Rip-Offs,” which I’m all game for.

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Wikipedia.org – Clark Howard

Seriously, as I moved toward getting married and merging finances with another human, I’m working to get better with my finances, as Austin is seriously amazing with money, and I’ve learned a lot from him. So I try not to spend money on stupidity, but I was blown away when I came across this article, that was credited to things Clark Howard had said.

The main premise of the article? 

Cheapo sneakers are actually better for runners.

No, no, no-no, no no no no no.  Absolutely not.  The article credits a Scottish study that somehow concluded that less-expensive shoes are just as good as low cost one.

Full disclosure here.  I work for Fleet Feet, and I am biased, however, having run in both $25 shoes and $150 shoes, there is really no comparison.  You pay more, your feet feel better.

I consider myself something of specialist when it comes to running shoes (since it’s my job) and I’ve said it once, and I will absolutely say it again.  Go to a specialty shoe store, like a Fleet Feet or a Pacers, get a fitting, and pay the full price for your running shoes.  If you’re running, there’s no reason you should be pounding around on shoes you found in a Payless.

And now, I present to you a list of stuff you don’t need to be skimping on!

  1. Your bras.  Sports bras or not, you don’t want to be turning into a floppy mess by the time you’re 25.  Spend the money on something good and supportive, and you won’t regret it.
  2. Your jeans.  I’ve purchased jeans from Target, and they smell like mothballs.  I’ve purchased designer jeans from a consignment store.  Designer digs > Target jeans.
  3. Your vacuum.  If you buy it cheap and your ish is gonna break in 6 months anyways, spend the extra bucks and enjoy your vacuum for years to come.  I have an Oreck XL that’s like a million years old.  I don’t remember how much it cost when it was first purchased, but it’s still going strong.
  4. Your food.  Now let me clear, you can certainly afford healthy foods on the cheap.  Heads of lettuce, fruits, and juices can be purchased for cheap.  But don’t run out to some bargain place and sweep the bottom shelves for Ramen.  You’re doing your body no favors.
  5. Obviously, your running shoes.  Unless you like bunions and bone spurs.  But that’s completely up to you.

So what are you willing to spend your hard-earned money on?  

How marathoning is like delivering a child.

So here’s a disclaimer.  I am not pregnant, nor have I delivered a baby.  But., one of my best friends was pregnant throughout the time I trained for my marathon, and our lives have always been eerily parallel, despite the fact that she lives about 8 hours away in Nashville.  As I was going through the whole process – the training, the race itself, and then the after, I asked her about it, and she seemed totally in agreement, that training for, and executing a marathon is kinda sorta like the process of getting pregnant and delivering a baby.  Also, fun fact:  now that we have kids, we are sworn to secrecy about what happened at her wedding weekend.  I am fine with that 😉

meeviebirth
Mama Chelsie and baby niece Evie, when she was born on January 21st of last year! Mama delivered with no drugs!

How Marathoning is Like Delivering a Child

By: Cheri and Mama Chelsie, cause she’s actually delivered a child.

  1. You’re pregnant/you’ve registered for your first marathon! So what do you do? You tell your best friends, because you’re kind of so excited, but kind of terrified. What have you gotten yourself into? Oh well, you’ve got forever to prepare for this, right? Right? Why do some people so happy for you, and some people seem so terrified for you?
  2. Realizing that what you’re about to do is going to be a big deal, you go to Barnes and Noble and sit there with a tea while you read every single book on the topic.  You might even bring your laptop to Google some stuff and do some cross-referencing.  Why the hell are there so many theories on this stuff?  Should I eat seafood?  Is caffeine okay? Am I about to get judged for all my choices?
  3. You tell people.  And the world starts to implode.  First, it’s a lot of congratulations.  Then, a lot of unsolicited opinions.  Then a lot of stupid questions.  “How far is a marathon?”  “Why are you doing that?” “I think my sister ran a marathon once, but she said it made her hate running. [shrugs] Hope this doesn’t make you hate running!”
  4. Once you get over the initial shock of what happens, you realize, you have to eat well.  Gone are the days where you could mindlessly toss back a few cups of coffee, or drink all night with friends because each day when you wake up, whatever’s in your belly is what is coming with you for the run.  If something doesn’t agree with you, your body will certainly let you know, and you may find yourself in the bathroom a little more than usual.
  5. You talk to your friends about how they did it.  How did they prepare?  What should you know?  Some of their advice is comforting.  Some of their advice is terrifying.  You kind of think you can do it, but you kind of doubt yourself a little bit.
  6. You start going to bed a little earlier.  But it doesn’t really matter, because as you get a little closer to the event, you won’t sleep well anyways.  You’ll fall asleep okay, and find yourself stress dreaming about every thing that could possibly go wrong.
  7. You get a little practice with your longs runs (a few fake contractions).  Some of them make you really confident.  Some of them are defeating, and you’re really not sure if you can do it.  But what choice do you have right now?  You can’t back out, right?
meeviebirthhome
Jesus, that beautiful is baby, huh? Mama Chelsie isn’t too bad either 🙂
  1. Some really weird stuff starts happening to your body.  You’re hungry all the time.  But you only want to eat good stuff.  Your thighs rub together.  Things spread, things come together, and your energy is all over the place.
  2. Okay, it’s the morning of.  You can do this!  After 9 months (or less) of training, you are so pumped, and very nervous.  And the adrenaline of what’s about to happen to you starts to pull you through.
  3. Less than halfway through, endorphins are flowing.   What are people talking about?! This is awesome!  You might even nod your head and high give some passers-by.  Mind over matter that’s all it takes. ::hair flip::
  4. Chelsie was in labor for over a day.  Luckily, there is not really that when you’re marathoning.  But an hour and a half after those endorphins are flowing, despair comes.  What the frick were you thinking?  Why did you think this was fun?  Why did you tell everyone you were doing this?  Now if you were to lay down and die, they will know you failed.  You’re breathing heavily.  You’re making noises.  The only thoughts are the thoughts of your loved ones, and how you have to make it back to them.  Not religious?  Doesn’t matter.  You will be praying.
  5. The final push.  25.5 miles.  People tell you you’re almost there.  You hope so, because seriously, you’re not sure you’re going to make it.  But you put one foot in front of the other, and keep moving.  And suddenly, the finish line appears.  And with that, you give it literally everything you have.
  6. Euphoria.  You’re crossing the finish line.  And you collapse into a pile of emotion.  Disbelief.  There are tears and sobbing.  Someone puts a medal (a baby) on your chest, and a blanket around your shoulders.  There are hugs and smiles.  And in the words of Chelsie, “you feel like a million bucks,”
  7. The would-be Rip Van Winkle.  You want to sleep for 1000 years.  But you have to call your family and friends who are wondering how/what you’re doing.  Ugh.
  8. The next day, when you feel like like 10 trucks ran you over, you swear that you will never do this again.  No one in hell could pay you enough to make you want to do this again.  Your chub rub hurts.  You want to eat, but you can’t.  And you want to slap whomever it was that said this was a good idea.
  9. The blackout.  A few days later, when you’re feeling better and your homies are slapping you on the back for what you’ve done, you literally black out all the crazy stuff that happens to you, and you think that it might be a good idea to do it again.  Whaaaaaa?  Who would do this more than once!
EvieV14-12
Those little feet!

Happy Valentines week beautiful people!  What have I missed about training for a marathon/having a sweet baby?  

10 miles felt like home.

Yesterday, Super Bowl Sunday (WOOO WHAT A HALFTIME SHOW, but that’s another post,) I’d cleaned, and was laying on the couch watching the first season of Girls…

Girls

Side note:  I’m not sure how I feel about Girls yet because there are just so, so so, many uncomfortable scenes.  Lena Dunham is naked the entire first season, there is a crack incident, and the entire incident where Jessa is kind of getting involved with the Dad she’s babysitting for completely made me so uncomfortable.  More on them later.

Okay, so finally, with a ton of episodes of Girls finished, I had a choice.  I could either take a nap, or venture out and do my 10 miles in yesterday’s beautiful weather.

To be honest, I think I was a little scared to run 10.  I hadn’t run 10 since my marathon flop in October (where I barfed 18 miles into the race), and I was really concerned that my stomach might start hurting again, and I’d begin to lose motivation for the race.  But I suited up, filled up my water bottle, and off I went.

It was a beautiful day, and this was one of the first sights I encountered in the 60-degree weather.

photo (15)It was really freaky.  Last week, we got a good bit of snow and ice, and despite the fact that most everything was melted by the time we hit 60 yesterday, there were still areas that hadn’t been touched by light, and this little stream, House Creek was frozen to this milky white color.  It was so weird, I had to stop, just a few miles in.

I suffer from gastritis, and one of my fears is that it may flare up in the same way it had in October.  But I was careful with my tummy, only eating a PowerBar fruit smoothie pouch before, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine in the hours and days before, and my stomach thanked me kindly.  But the nicest part, after I got over the initial, paralyzing fear that I might get sick mid-run again, was that 10 miles felt just like home.  Was it easy as pie, no way.  But it was almost as if my body had retained some memory of having run that distance before, and it was so much easier than the first time I ever ran 10.  It actually felt good, and I’m starting to believe and trust in my training a little more.  Next week is 15, and here’s to 15 feeling like home as well 🙂

How did your run/workout go this weekend?  

Here’s what! What three things are you obsessed with today?

I dedicate this post to none other than Bravo Andy.  If you know anything of me, you know that I love Bravo, and Bravo Andy is seriously my American Idol.  I think we were separated at birth, because our senses of humor are strikingly similar.  But I’m going into far too much detail about my Jewish brethren, let’s get on with it!  At the beginning of each broadcast, Andy does his “Here’s What” segment, which involves him telling us what three things he’s obsessed with that day.

So here’s what!

1.  Butter London Nail Polish in Pimms.photo 2 (4)I have been looking for a good quality yellow polish for a long time, and I just haven’t found the right shade for my skin tone.  I finally researched, and found this color on Amazon.  Once I found out that Ulta carried the polish, which runs at $15 a bottle (whew!) I bought it last night, and gave myself a much-needed mani.  The color is gorgeous, and is bringing a lot of sunshine to an otherwise crappy weather situation.

photo 3 (3)

2.  The Netflix app for iPhone.  I have been a big fan of Netflix for a long time, however, I figured something really really cool out.  Yesterday, after I taught Zumba, I was dreading having to run 5 miles for marathon training because I just wasn’t comfortable doing it outside.  A lot of the trails and side roads are still really icy here, and I didn’t want to risk slipping and injuring myself.  So I got the bright idea to download the Netflix app, and watch a movie while I plodded through 5 miles. 

photo (1)I’ve seen ‘Flight’ before, but since I’d liked it so well the first time, I decided to watch it again.  The movie is fantastic.  Seriously.  The previews were a little deceptive, although the story is based around this pilot, the plot deals more with addiction and less with flying than you’d think, though this movie seriously has one of THE best flight scenes I think I’ve ever seen.  But if addiction interests you whatsoever, please watch this.

3.  This dog. 

photo (14)Coco is the tiny girl wonder who came into our lives a few weeks ago.  She’s an absolute doll, and I’m having a blast spoiling the heck out of her.  We’re still working on potty problems, but honestly, nothing makes me happier than waking up in the middle of the night and peeking down at the edge of the bed to see her curled up.  She is SO good.  If she doesn’t stop crapping on my floor though, I’m gonna cook her for dinner!

I kid!  She’s great!

So, on this icy Friday, what three things are you obsessed with?  Feel free to send me pics of your dogs too, you know I love a good dog pic 🙂 

 

 

Snow Day + Interval Training

The schools in our county are out again today, and I’m feeling for the teachers and parents, who I’m sure are going a little stir-crazy, but the side roads are still kind of sketchy.

So for those of you who are northerners that are reading, I am a transplant from Brooklyn, NY, and most of my family is either there or in New Jersey now. I know you guys might be dumbfounded on how 2-6″ of snow can cripple a state or a city like Atlanta, but very simply put, our secondary roads haven’t been plowed, and it makes it really dangerous for a lot of folks.

As far as Atlanta is concerned, Atlanta and the larger state of Georgia largely ignored the forecast, didn’t cancel schools prior to the weather event, and then everyone was released from work/government jobs/school at the same time, creating that horrific gridlock. One of my best friends had to sleep in a school. Thank you to all the teachers, the security guards, the bus drivers, and the cafeteria ladies that worked wayyy overtime to take care of folks, you are incredible. As for the higher-ups in that metro area, you get a HUGE side-eye from me for endangering literally millions of lives.

Moving right along. 

photo 1We actually got a decent amount of snow, and for someone like me, whose neighborhood is kinda woodsy and hilly, the ice is still pretty bad.  It’s also really annoying to try to get your dog to poop in the snow, fun fact.

photo 2So instead of going to work, I largely stayed in until I had to venture out for some soup and coffee.

photo 3So since the snow started on Tuesday night, I ended up taking a rest day on Tuesday because a lot of the gyms were closing early, and it just didn’t make sense to try and bang out intervals in the ice.  So yesterday night, I made myself a little cheat sheet, and ventured over to the gym to do some interval training.  But how was I going to do this distance interval without a track?

photo 4

 

Enter Garmin 610.  What good is a fancy watch if you don’t use all the features?  So I changed the distance interval to a timed one, and banged them out.  I honestly have never used the interval featured on the Garmin 610 because my training has been more about just getting mileage in and not necessarily focusing on strength or speed (not a great thing, because the end of a marathon gets ROUGH).   This time, I’m focusing on more than just the long run, and I’m sorta loving it.  The coolest thing about doing a timed interval is that you rack up some serious mileage without realizing – over the 6 intervals I managed to squeeze in 5 miles without like, staring at the distance ticker on the treadmill.  Very nice!

photo 5And after working out, the husband-to-be took me out for dinn, which consisted of a small salad and some sweet potato fries, one of my favorite indulgences!  Still fries, but not necessarily as bad for you as regular fries.

So folks, how are you making out with this weather?  Anyone still out of school today?  Anyone iced in?  Anyone perfectly dry?