running

When do I?

| cheriarmour

P1020103This is Scott, over at One White Guy.  He’s a bestie of mine, and has been for like, 10 years now?  That makes me sounds really old, but I promise, I’m not.

Anyhoo, Scott suggested a really really good blog topic, so I credit this entire masterpiece that you’re about to get.  🙂

I’m a new runner.  When do I….

…Invest in “real” shoes?

photoThe first thing that you do, even if you don’t consider yourself a “real” runner (which I hate, if you run, you’re a “real” runner), is invest in a good pair of shoes.  When you go running in a crappy pair of shoes, and your feet throb after, you’re never really going to want to run again.  Reduce your chances of wanting to quit, and invest in a good pair as soon as you decide you’re going for a run.  Plus I think pretty new shoes are a great way to motivate yourself.

…Spend a good bit of money of a sports bra?

cb48f29e904411e392aa125441224967_7Well that really depends?  How big are are your breasts?  If you’re a smaller chested women, I’m thinking small C and below, you can get away with a perhaps, not as expensive bra, maybe like you’d find at a Target.  However, if you’re a mid C and above, or if you’ve ever had the experience of having to put two bras on, it’s time to drop some cash on a real bra.  Your nipples and your breast tissue will thank you when it’s not being chafed and stretched all over the place.

…Buy shorts/shirts (running apparel) other than the t-shirts/shorts I have in my drawers

IMG_1908This is one of those things that I think you can wait on, especially if you don’t have particularly sensitive skin.  Wear your t-shirts and shorts until you get sick of running around in sopping wet clothes, and invest in a few  pieces that you can reuse again and again.

…invest in a gps watch

Garmin 610This is one that can wait too.  I love love love my GPS watch, and I’m a big fan of Garmin and their products, however, with the advent of Smart Phones, generally there is some type of app you can download.  The app will not be as accurate (Garmin is accurate within 5 feet), and the life of the phone can be a lot shorter if you have a music app opened up along with a GPS app.  This is one of the products that is extremely useful, and luckily, Garmin has a few products that aren’t $400 that you can choose if you’re really in want of a GPS.

…Buy a pair of socks for $15/pair

unnamedThis is one of those that seems dumb (like who spends $12 on a pair of socks!) but once you make the jump from cotton socks to socks that are an acrylic blend, you won’t want to go back.

…Start taking Gu/nutritional supplements.

20 Mile NutritionAt the point at which you’re running for an hour or more, it’s time to explore the ideas of nutrition, especially if you’re a person who is sensitive to shifts in your blood sugar.  If you’re planning one of those longer runs, take one of these before (with a lot of water), and then one about every 45 minutes.  Experiment prior to a race situation because these things (some of them) have been known to cause stomach problems.  I avoid the ones with caffeine generally.

…Start carrying water. 

Same rules as nutrition.  If you’re running for over an hour, take water.  If it’s hot, take water.  If you’re just a thirsty lady or gent, take water.

Do you think I covered it all?  What other questions do you have?

 

 

 

 

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Recap! Friggin epic post!

| cheriarmour

Hi!

I had an amazing weekend, which I’m guessing you can gather from all the tweets and the FB posts that were all “omgomgomgomg I love it here!”.  I’m trying to figure out how many times I can tell you guys I’m having and epic weekend before you start to suspect that I do nothing but traipse around with no other purpose but to write about it, but rest assured, I have a real life too!  My weekends have just been insane this past month or so.

So anyways, I headed to DC this past weekend, the best city in the land, to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA half marathon, and the weekend literally gets a 10 out of 10 from me.  I’ll totally tell you why.

P1160264So I stayed at the Westin in Georgetown, and the first thing I saw when I walked in was this.  A big, giant, comfortable bed, with a robe on it.

P1160267Then I saw this, which I immediately decided would be put to good use before I raced the following day.  And use it I did.  Following a quick pre-race dinner of a sandwich and some greens, I immediately set about to fill up this tub, take a quick swig from my bottle of Skinny Girl California White, and soaked in the tub with a Demi Lovato book (don’t judge) until i was too sweaty to continue.  Baths usually go that way for me, I get too sweaty to enjoy it after awhile and I have to get out!

P1160272Westin has this sick program, where, for $5 a day, you can skip packing you workout clothes (which always take up a good bit of room), and sort of rent/borrow some New Balance apparel.  I believe they also guarantee that you will leap about like the model does in all-white clothing.  Added bonus!

P1160268More tub!  P1160276You didn’t think I was going to leave the hotel without trying on the robe, right?  It was comfy, and there’s my mug without makeup.  What do ya think?  And with all of that, I hit the sack for about 3 or 4 hours, and got prepped for the race, the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA!  (And don’t worry, I will go over all the good, the bad (none), and the awesome in a minute, just enjoy the photos for a second!)

P1160277What I wore!  The trusty Brooks Glycerin, my printed Nike tights, a muscle tee from Fabletics, and a little Fabletics Yoga hoodie.  As for socks, I went with some Smart Wool to keep my toots warm.
P1160278And let’s skip ahead!  Mama finished 13.1 and is still smiling, even after a bout with some Norovirus or something funky this week.

P1160279The Rock ‘n’ Roll VIP Tent!  Best post race thing ever!
P1160280More VIP celebrations!

P1160281Me and the beautiful Carrie Keagan hung out before and post race.  Side note, her parents are friggin adorable, and by the time we left, we were referring to each other as Mom, Dad, and their long lost dark-skinned daughter.

P1160282Back stage at the concert – The Head and the Heart.

P1160283What a crowd!

P1160284More more!

P1160285 P1160286 P1160287 P1160288 P1160289 P1160290

And I finished off the weekend with a shower and friends!

So now that you got to see my wonderful pics, let’s talk about Rock ‘n’ Roll USA!

The Good

  • The start waves.  They nailed this one, better than anyone has ever nailed it before.  The waves were timed so well that although a ton of people were running, there was never a point where I felt like the situation was too crowded to move in.
  • The transportation.  If you weren’t familiar with the city, no matter because we were provided detailed maps in tons of ways to get to the start easily by the metro.  So seamless.
  • The course.  The course was sick.  Aside from an ungodly hill at mile 6 (that is all people were talking about after the race), the course was beautiful.

The Bad. 

  • Seriously?  I have 0 complaints.

The Awesome.

  • VIP Access.  Seriously, if you have never sprung for the VIP access, do it!  Because of my VIP access I had an early breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, I had a ride down the the start line, I had a charging station for my cell phone, I had a warm place to hang out pre-race, a separate bag check, and access to the heated VIP tent after the race, where there was a ton of food, liquids, and BEER after the race!
  • The concert.  So rad.  The Head and the Heart.  So rad.
  • The weather. Could not have asked for a more beautiful day.  I wore the yoga sweatshirt for maybe the first three miles, and then peeled it off and was able to get by in a muscle tee the rest of the race.

The verdict. 

‘Rock ‘n’ Roll USA was a 10/10.  I have run many a race, good and bad, and this one is up there as the best – the best organized, the best weather, the best course, and the best service of any race I’ve done, and from what I heard from my folks, Rock ‘n’ Roll has been like this in general.  Sign up sign up sign up!

[Disclaimer – I was given a race entry + VIP access, but I would tell you if it sucked or not.  Seriously, this race is a two thumbs up!]

RnR USA Preview + I love DC :)

| cheriarmour

I’m not gonna spoil tomorrow’s epic post about my weekend running DC for you guys, but I cannot tell you enough how much I love this city.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Raleigh, it’s where I met my future husband, and I love the little love nest we’ve turned Raleigh into, but I haven’t always felt that way about the city.  When I first moved here, I was doing a lot, too much in fact, and that soured my experience a little bit with here.  I moved right after I graduated undergrad, was prepping to go to grad school, was in the process of breaking up with someone, and I felt like I didn’t have any friends here, when the truth was, I did.  But when you’re feeling sorry for yourself, you really and truly convince yourself that you’re alone, and no one likes you, blah blah blah.

So anyhoo, the things that I’ve learned this weekend (without spoiling the epic race post I have for you)?

photo 1 (6)
My view from Saturday morning’s race!
  1.  My stomach is still healing from the little debacle I had last October, where I found out that I’d somehow developed gastritis.  I’ve been really good about taking my meds, but not as good at avoiding caffeine, and during the race, which went really well, my stomach definitely had a few moments where it tried to revolt a little bit.  I was able to breathe through it but it jerked me back to reality.  You can’t jump from gastritis to ultra marathons in a matter of a few months.  That’s just the facts.
  2. All that said, I think it might be a good idea for me to drop from the RnR Raleigh Full to the Half.  My stomach told me so, and I have to agree with her.  She needs more time to heal up before I start shoving Gu and stuff into it.
  3. I am a boss at this city.  I’ve been super open about my love affair with this city.  And nothing has changed, between the public transit, which I rocked at, and between being able to find stuff, I am so comfortable here.  So this blog might turn from a running blog, into a convincing-your-husband-that-moving-to-DC –is-a-bomb-ass-idea.  I’ll keep you posted J

How was your weekend?  What are you looking forward to this week? 

Running on a budget.

| cheriarmour

Clearly, as evidenced by my post following my adventures in Targetland, I’m not always the budget guru, however, when it comes to running on a budget, I kinda know the tips and tricks.

This came up the other day, when a friend, who is very cool and very very tatted up, mentioned that she loves to run, but that a pair of running shoes is nearly an entire one of her paychecks.

I totally get that.  I’ve been there before, and I feel so fortunate to not have to scrounge for shoes and some technical gear any longer.

Shoes$

So, I cannot stress to you enough how important good gear is.  If you want to avoid chafing, blisters, bunions, heel pain, the whole 9, you need to spend money on your stuff.  But how can you afford the stuff?  (Seriously, I just got a pair of tights that costed $90, so I feel you.)

  1. Recognize that the pricier stuff, both shoes and gear, is generally superior to the less-expensive stuff from Wal-Mart or Target.  I’ve worn both.  Sure, the less pricey stuff definitely has its perks – it’s great for bumming around, long drives, and sometimes, for the occasional workout.  But if you’ve ever tried to wear a cotton t-shirt during a hot, sweaty workout and it’s turned into a dress on you, you know that sometimes, the more-expensive stuff is worth it.
  2. Once you recognize that it might be worth it, let’s strategize on how we’re gonna save dem dollas.
  3. Pay for one anchor piece full-price.  That’s right, shell out that $110 for a pair of shoes at a running specialty place like a Fleet Feet, so you know what kind of shoe you need.  Get the whole fitting.  Let them fit you for a bra.  Try on some pieces of clothing that you think you might like or need.  And leave the store, guilt-free, with your new pair of shoes, and an idea of what your size might be in some other apparel.
  4. So let’s say you were fitted for something like the Brooks Ghost 6.  You know what you’re in now, right?  So there are a few things you can do to save money at this point.  Number one, ask your local Fleet Feet, or whatever running specialty store if they have a customer rewards program.  You may get 10% off of your next pair of shoes, a free pair of socks, or something along those lines!
  5. Ask the person fitting you if there is any discount for teachers or miltary. 
  6. Keep your eyes peeled for anytime your store might be having a sale, because often when a shoe is moving to its new model, the older model may be discounted. 
  7. As far as gear, shop in the off-season!  Shop the racks the end of winter and the end of summer, and you should be able to get some staple pieces to be able to use year-round at a pretty reasonable price.

What are you favorite tips for running on a budget?

Calling all my social workers! A post on self-care.

| cheriarmour

imageSelf-care is a big buzzword in social work land.  (For those of you just kinda tuning in, I’m a runner, a Zumba instructor, a blogger, and a social worker, all usually within the same week).  Anyhoo, like I was saying, self-care is a big word in social work land, mainly because burnout in social work is really prevalent.  We work really really hard with very little pay, all because we love people, and we love to serve people.  If HIPAA wasn’t a thing, I’d talk to you all day and all night about my clients, and how phenomenal they are, but I guess I have to respect their right to privacy, right?

But it’s hard.  There were two weeks last month that I truly thought I wasn’t cut out for the work, after some clients were especially horrible to me, that after viewing the puffy stress eyes, that I was ready to quit the job, and blog full time.  But here I am, and I’m starting to recognize that self-care is really important, and not just something that we should be joking about in the office.

Self-care means….

  • Going for my runs.  And I make sure I do it 5-6 times a week, but sometimes, I don’t bathe myself in the runs like I should.  I shouldn’t be thinking about notes, about deadlines, about my to-do list.  I need to do my runs, and be present for the runs.
  • Not mindlessly scrolling through my phone.  I’ve found myself, before bed, mindlessly scrolling through my phone before bed.  I don’t need to do that.  I need to actually sleep when I’m in bed.
  • Throwing myself into the things I enjoy.  I enjoy teaching, dancing, planning my wedding, reading, blogging, running, going to yoga, and I need to quit doing that thing where I divide my mind time.  If I’m running, I need to be present.  If I’m teaching, my mind is only there.  If I’m planning, my mind is all on me and what my future husband are doing.  Blogging? I’m all yours.
  • Recognizing when I’m tired.  There’s a difference between sleep and tired.  And sometimes I have troubles recognizing when I’m exhausted, tired, and when I just need to slow things down.  This weekend, when I opened my eyes on Sunday morning on Fripp, I was so happy, so in love with life, so in love with the beach, and I recognized that not only did I sleep like a rock, that I am tired.
  • Booking a room for myself at the Westin in Georgetown to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon.  I’m checking into a hotel in a beautiful part of DC, and I will be ghost, snuggling in a king-sized bed by myself, taking a bath, reading a book, and thinking about why my life is so beautiful! 

What are you doing to care for yourself, beautiful readers?  

Garmin 610 Surprise

| cheriarmour

Do you guys ever find out your technology can do something you didn’t know it could do?

With my Garmin, I learn something new like every day with that thing.

Garmin 610

So when I first got it two birthdays ago, I used to primarily to run, and nothing else.  Because I got it as a gift for my birthday, and I didn’t pay the $300 some-odd for it, it never occurred to me to use the crap out of it and get my money’s worth.  It wasn’t until I started training for my 789 half marathons I’m doing that I figured out I could use it for intervals, and a bunch of other cool stuff.

P1160237So over the weekend on Fripp, I got it in my head to get some beach cruisers so we could ride around, see the island some more, and get our exercise in for the day.

For some reason, it popped into my head that the Garmin 610 could be used for cycling as well.  I’m not sure where I’d heard that, because I never read instructions, but after literally like 30 seconds of playing with the watch, I figured out how to put it into cycling mode, and was able to use it while we cruised.  Now it was only a 5 mile ride, but it was awesome to be able to see what other amazing things the watch could do!

Ever found out that your technology can do something incredible?

Weekend Update – get prepped, this post is a doozy!

| cheriarmour

So a few weeks ago, I got an email from a friend, Kelly, with whom I went to Elon with.  Kelly invited me, the dog, and the husband-to-be to Fripp, SC, an island off the coast of South Carolina, to relax for the weekend.  The trip was a blast.

So, on Saturday morning, I got the dog up, fed my cat, dragged a very sleepy Austin out of his bed, and we hit the road for 5 hours to make it to our home, which was stunning.

We headed to the beach, ran on the beach, enjoyed dinner, got bikes, cooked, and drank to our little heart’s content.  I made sure to take pics so that you guys could see what we did!

IMG_0913Beach fun as soon as we got to Fripp.  That’s Nate photobombing us in the background.   IMG_0914 IMG_0915 IMG_0916 IMG_0917 IMG_0918 IMG_0919I am an awful dog mom.  I put Coco into the fake gators mouth and she actually let me do it! IMG_0920 (2) IMG_0920 IMG_0921 IMG_0922Then we actually saw a real gator.  He’s a little guy, and he lives in the pond, so I made sure to keep Coco away from the pound.   IMG_0923 IMG_0928 IMG_2549This was our view!  Can you even believe this?

P1160227Party Austin was ready for a good time.

P1160229This was us at dinner 🙂

P1160230I Usually never ever eat cream soups, but since we were on vacation, I figured it was okay, right?  Good call, because it was freaking delicious.   P1160231Nothing would be complete without Austin climbing on something.

P1160233P1160234American Idol contestant Candice Glover lived on St. Helena and worked on Fripp evidently, because her stuff was everywhere! P1160235I ate this with zero shame after we got a few beach cruisers to ride around on.

 P1160239 Bikes!

P1160241Hubs on a bike!

P1160243We didn’t take enough pics together this weekend.

P1160244P1160245

We practiced my new last name.

P1160246P1160247P1160248P1160249P1160250P1160251P1160252P1160253P1160254P1160255P1160257P1160259

P1160260We stopped on the way out of the island at a place called Sheldon Church, a historical site outside of Beaufort that burned down.  I literally whimpered on the way out.  I hope you guys had a good weekend, and enjoyed some of our photos.  What was your weekend like?

 

Random schtuff.

| cheriarmour

Hi!

I’m back to civilization, and while I absolutely loved my visit with my parents, I am super glad to be back.  I missed my honey, and my cat, and hanging out with my frands.

You guys ready for some Wednesday randomness?

  • First and foremost, I am so freaking sick of winter weather.  I mean, how much more can we take?  I have run so many miles on a treadmill this year that I am sick of every single song, and every single movie I’ve been watching all winter.  But hey, at least I have a warm bed to sleep in at night. 
  • How cute is this Sweaty Band?  I wore it for a few hours while I taught/grabbed a quick dinner from Whole Foods tonight and I got compliments on it (those are mustaches on it, in case you can’t tell).  But not to fear, we’ll be having a little Sweaty Band giveaway really really soon 🙂
    photo 4
  • This dinner from Whole Foods tonight. 

photo 3I could not muster the energy to cook anything tonight. So I grabbed this cup of carrot ginger soup, a beer, and grabbed some extra soup for lunch tomorrow.  It’s SO good.  If you have it at your WF, totally grab some (as long as you’re into spices – the ginger really really spices this thing up.)  Heat it up super super hot, and it is amazing 🙂

  • photo (24)This horrid creature has taken residence on my ceiling.  I’m too grossed out to do anything to him, and he’s disappeared now, so I’m really just hoping with all my heart that he hasn’t fallen into my hair.
    photo 1
  • Lily Allen has further proved how amazing she is by donning this Yonce belt.  I’m still extremely bitter that Bey only felt the need to release Partition, but I think I’ll manage to get over it somehow.
  • This Geico commerical. 


Almost as good as the Dikembe Mutombo commerical from last year. But still pretty good 🙂

Tell me something random about your Wednesday!  

Blogmopolitan Quiz Part Dos!

| cheriarmour

I’m sorry, that quiz I posted a few days ago was so fun, so I decided to do it again, with a few changes and a few more answers.  Again, I totally yanked the quiz from Two Thirds Hazel, who is my American Idol, as far as blogs are concerned.  (Seriously, her blog is so pretty!)

Okay, here goes!

The Blogmopolitan QuizA few takeaways from this quiz?

  • I love my black eyeliner.  Seriously, when Amy Winehouse burst onto my scene, mid-college, not only was I totally obsessed with her music and amazing voice, but her tats and eyeliner were, and continue to bet the bombest of any eyeliner that anyone in Hollywood bangs with.
  • I hate mushrooms.  I don’t care how vegetarian I am, I wish people would stop putting a giant mushroom on a hamburger bun and claiming that I’m supposed to enjoy something that tastes like dirt.
  • Teen pop = delicious, and I really get annoyed by people who just hate teen pop for the sake of hating it.  Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Miley, Justin Bieber, One Direction.  I truly enjoy that music.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the classics as well, but try running the last mile of a marathon to Hall and Oates, and you’ll get what I mean about the teeny boppers.  They have their place!
  • Like 4 people call me Cher.  My college roommate, anyone from Twisted Measure, my college a cappella group, and my cousins.  If you are not one of those people, it’s probably best not to call me Cher.

Your turn!  Do ittttt!  Link me up! Link her up!  I wanna see yo answers!