Rock n Roll Half marathon

Amazing.  I still can't stop smiling 24 hours later.  This was such a great event through a great city and the crew for Rock n Roll marathon series was awesome!!  I absolutely loved the route, it was beautiful running through the city, but then also scenic taking us pretty far out to run along the water at points.  It was somewhat hilly but not unbearable.  I feel like once you run the NB half AND have done two Tough Mudders, you can run do anything ;) haha

I kiced my PR's butt and shaved 14 minutes off of my previous half-marathon time.  I averaged just over 11 minute/miles which I thought was unattainable!  Most importantly, I NEVER STOPPED TO WALK!!!  There are not enough exclamation points that would fit on the page to express my excitement for this accomplishment.

It was tough but soooo worth it. Couldn't be more thankful for my wonderful support team including my parents, Stephie and Randy for making the trip in the wee hours this morning to cheer me on :) I am so grateful.  

I also have the best family and friends a girl could ask for, with constant words of support and encouragement throughout this weekend and my entire training for that matter.  I am so blessed to be surrounded with the most amazing people :)

Unfortunately I am not the kind of runner that can multi-task so I don't have any pictures along the route.  I do have some great before and after shots though, and a few my sister took of me at mile 12.5... the bitter end!!

Overall I had a wonderful experience and I cannot wait until my next race!  And it is safe to say that I will be participating in this event for as long as it is hosted in the area!  Who knows, maybe soon I can travel to one!

Three weeks!

OK, so I have totally slacked on the Sit in September challenge.  With all the running I have been doing, and the slight bit of knee pain I have been struggling with I decided not to strain too badly.  With three weeks to go, I am feeling great about this race, especially with my recent 10K time!

9/8/13 -

Day after the 10K, feeling somewhat sore but still got a run in followed by a short walk with Randy :)  I have been fighting some tightness in the back of my knee for a while, and it has become more and more annoying. Hopefully it doesn't stick around too much longer

Really nice, cool night!  Forgot my inhaler at home so I had some troubles but luckily it was a beautiful night so I could fight it.  The pain in my knee, however, is becoming more and more intolerable.  Trying to work through it without pushing too hard, but I really don't want to mess anything up too badly.  

Run to the Rock 10K

Saturday I ran my first 10K since I was a kid, when I would travel to Georgia every summer to run in the Peachtree road race every 4th of July!

This time, I was running to test myself for pace and distance for my upcoming half marathon in just three weeks!  And it was AWESOME!! It was a beautiful, cool morning in Plymouth with beautiful scenery and a home stretch that bordered the water.  It was so great, I even set a new PR :)

My official time was 1:07:25 with a pace of 10:52/mile.  It was only a few weeks ago that I was dreaming about the possibility of keeping an 11min/mile for the HM, but now I don't think it is that far off!

A HUGE thank you to my family for coming out :)  My mom, dad, grandmother, sister, sister's boyfriends and of course my very own hunnie were all there to cheer me on :)  It was great!!  They were standing ~1/4 mile from the finish line which was a HUGE push at the end for me!!

Official Race photo:  Looking like a goober as usual haha

September is here!!

4 weeks to go until Providence Rock n Roll HM! Training is going well, I cannot wait for this damn humidity to get lost!!

So because Active August was a huge success, I am now working on my September goals: hit 30 for 30 on my FuelBand point goals, complete the#sitinseptember challenge reaching 3:30 wall sit, and have an epic running streak, running at least 1.5 miles every day!!

Day 1:

Day 2:  

 Gym was closed... even though the website said it was open... womp womp woooomp :(  Struggled through a VERY humid run outside and had to do my wall sits against my car! haha I was still able to make it work though :)

Day 3:  

So I bit the bullet and joined a gym. I opted not to test my luck with the lighting storm this afternoon, and decided it was time. Who would have ever thought I preferred running outdoors?! I ran into my cousin there, who is working towards being a person trainer so anyone in the area that goes to WOW give him a shout (Andy Dupras) 😊 he even completed my wall sits (yes plural) with me!!

Day 4:

A very lite run in the morning, just to keep my legs stretched :)

Day 5:

Don't mind me and my negative splits. Last longer run before my race on Saturday!! So excited for my new Shwings that came in!! Fly like the wind :) I completed my SitInSeptember wall sits in lab today between incubation times haha

Day 6:

I was not able to get a run in this day, a double shift it the restaurant had me running around all day though!  KILLED my points for the day :)

Day 7: RACE DAY!  See Run to the Rock 10K

5 weeks to go!

Day 25 - Juice

LOVE POM pomegranate juice. Definitely my fav!! I raced the moon tonight and I think I won ;)  I am excited for my PR, especially considering the 10K I am doing in just under 2 weeks!  I am ready to really start focusing on distance now that I am confidant in my pace.  Hoping to add 1.5-2 miles to my long runs every week from here on out.  I should be much farther along by now, but I feel the best I have ever felt while training, so I hope it is a good sign!

Day 26 - Squats

A very lite leg workout after my 10k yesterday. Feeling good!!  Thanks Nicole for the set :)

 Day 27 - Fitness memes

I could post these all day long :)  I love them all from serious and motivational to the silly ones.

Day 28 & 29 - Leg day and Yoga pose

 A fellow challenge group member said it best: every day is leg day for runners... "Speed" run followed by some yoga stretches before work

Day 30 & 31: "Selfie" and achievements

My selfie on Saturday totally cheesing for my friend Cleide's wedding!  As for my achievements: My Fuel points were through the roof in August! I missed my goal of 31 by one day!! But still had an amazing month. I didn't make quite as much of a debt in my miles as I would have liked but it was BY FAR the most miles I have ever run in a month. September it will happen!! I was really excited to participate in this challenge group by IG fitness gurus @slambooy and @lashreds this month, it pushed me really hard every day. I highly recommend looking into joining a challenge for anyone looking to push their fitness goals!! 

6 weeks!

6 weeks remain until the half marathon!  I have decided to sign up for a 10K in 3 weeks, I think it will be a really good race practice considering I haven't participated in one since March!!

Active August update:

Day 21:

 OK so I have been slacking big time!! My fun filled couple of days have put me a bit behind. So here is day 18 (protein) and day 20 (apparel). Eggs are absolutely one of my favorite proteins!! And these Champion Vapor shirts are some of my awesome new swag from the outlets this past weekend!! Tomorrow I will have the other posts that I missed! Ran tonight for the first time in a few days and I have this lingering pain in the back of my knee that just won't quit! Back at it tomorrow :)

On a way way way awesome note, I hit 1 MILLION Fuel points today :)  Pretty rev'd up for that!!

Day 22, 23, 24 - Handstand, Something new, Stretch

Ok back on track! Did my handstand in the lab that morning goofing off! My something new was running with my friend Mel this morning :) I usually run alone so it was really nice to have a buddy today!! A nice easy 3 miles, long run coming tomorrow. Anyone want to join me?? Stretching is something I definitely don't do enough of, so this was a great end to my run today!! 

7 weeks to go, my birthday and halfway point of Active August!

Day 11: Smoothie

This smoothie is one of my favorites right now.  Pretty much anything that I can add this tropical fruit mix into is amazing.  Pineapple, papaya, kiwi, mango and red papaya.  Today I added a handful of fresh blueberries and a scoop of vanilla protein powder and it was delicious!!  But enough about the smoothie!!  I can't help but gloat about runs today!!  Yes that is plural.  I was short on time this morning but felt guilty about not getting at least a short run in, so I pushed hard for 2 miles and it payed off!  Then in the evening I set out to finally run 5 miles in 1 hour flat and I crushed it.  55 minutes, I couldn't even believe it.  It definitely puts into sight my goal for 11 minute/miles for the HM.  But I may be getting ahead of myself haha  Either way, I felt great and I could have gone farther but I didn't want to kill the rest of my week by pushing a bit too far trying to be a show off.

Also, my nifty (yes, nifty) new running belt came in on Friday and I used it today for the first time.  Pretty excited :)  I was able to carry some GU's with me as well and my inhaler worry free!

Day 12: Burpees

OK, so I didn't do any burpees today.  I did however run the 2.7miles to Zumba then hobble my way through the 1 hour class! :) Plus I got to play with my friend's new puppy yesterday and you just can't have a bad day when you get to play with a puppy :)

 Day 13: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!  oh ya, and Run

It's my birthday and I'll walk if I want to! Tough run with high humidity and super sore legs, so I ended up walking the majority of the last mile. Vanilla blueberry smoothie for breakfast and a glitter mani has me feeling great though. Wonderful presents from my hunnie including a Bruins Alex & Ani, a new anchor wallet and tickets to the John Meyer show this Sunday in New Hampshire!!!! Hooray for birthdays!!! :)

Randy, Stephie and Kate came with me to Sky Zone in East Providence in the afternoon and it was SO much fun!  Felt like a kid again in the backyard on the trampoline!  I definitely wish it were closer, I would go all the time!!

Feeling youthful, doing some back-tucks and other gymnastics skills that I haven't done in about 5 years!  Felt great, but definitely sore!! haha

Even Nike knew it was my birthday :)

Day 14 - Outside

Legs were shot today so no run, but Randy and I took a nice fast-walk around the pond before dinner :) Autumn is right around the corner here and the cool mornings and evening are AMAZING. Turkey burgers with fresh veggies and corn on the cob for dinner :)

Day 15 - Planks

I. Despise. Planks. I know I should do them more, but I just don't like them! Trying though! Slow run this morning, legs are still pretty sore. My cat Fenway supervised from the window while I stretched and warmed up!!

Day 16 - Shoes

I have been living in my running sneakers lately!! While I really enjoy my Nike Fuel equipment, I LOVE my Adidas running kicks. They fit me like a glove and ever since I made the switch a few years ago it has made the biggest difference in my runs! Today though I've opted for a navy and white stripped boat shoe :)

Day 17 - Swolemate

Going to get a bit mushy on you...Randy is many, many things including my walking buddy, personal photographer, pep-talk-giver and even the kick in the butt to get out the door when I need it!! He supports and motivates me every day with his own fitness, inspiring me to push further! On another note: struggled through a run this morning and didn't quite, resulting in negative splits :)

8 weeks!

8 weeks remaining until the race.  #ActiveAugust is going great, I enjoy having a task to complete each day, as well as know that I have a solid short term goal ahead of me!

Day 4:  Cheat meal

This "cheat meal" was more like a cheat day!  Being from Massachusetts I am pretty sure it is in my DNA to crave fresh seafood.  This lobster roll was DELICIOUS.  Then there was chocolate cake for my little brother's birthday!!  I did manage to run 2.5 miles in the afternoon, but my legs were like lead sinkers.  Total pain the whole way.  Oh well, better than nothing!

Day 5: Motivation

 These are a few of my favorite motivational quotes.  Even the slowest progress is progress, even the slowest mile is a mile!  Also, my Fuel Band rocks and it keeps me super motivated to move more every day!  My motivations are not purely fitness based though, school is always on my mind and finishing my masters degree is a goal that I am VERY proud of!!!

This afternoon I took a walk with Francisco to the coffee shop near campus to shake off the chill from our way-too-cold new lab space!  3 miles round trip!! I was running low on Fuel Points later in the evening from a day of doing nothing but sitting at the computer, so Randy went around the block with me a few times after dinner so I could make sure that I kept my points streak alive!! :)  Had the sweetest corn-on-the-cob for a snack, Fenway wanted some, I was a bit afraid.

Day 6: Favorite gym equipment

Well, considering I don't go to the gym, my list of choices is pretty short.  But I love working out from home and my running sneakers are my best pals right now!  I absolutely love my weighted gloves, they make Zumba even more of a challenge than it already is, highly recommend them!  The pull-up bar and I are not friends, but I am trying really hard to come around.  I promised myself I would start putting some focus into my upper-body and get the shoulders I really want, but I just despise that thing! haha

Day 7:  Cardio

One of these days I will finally be a morning person and run before it hits 70F in the afternoon.  Until then I will struggle through afternoon runs between jobs!  I am really happy with my run today, however short it was :)  I still had really good time, with the assistance of Pitbull haha

Day 8:  Clean Recipe

Zesty Lime Shrimp with couscous.  This is one of Randy's favorite meals that I make and it couldn't be any simpler.  

Shrimp salad:

• 1 lb jumbo shrimp
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 hass avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 limes, juice of
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• hot sauce of choice to taste

1. Cook the shrimp (steamed, sauteed, however you choose)  

    I prefer to cook mine in an aluminum packet in the oven with lime juice, olive oil and a bit of hot sauce

2. In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion.

3. In a large bowl combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

While this is getting ready I prepare the couscous, adding just a dash of olive oil to make sure it doesn't get too sticky!

Day 9: Gallon of H2O

Holy moly!!  This was a lot harder than I thought, and I drink a lot of water throughout the day!  I think I kept on pace and accomplished a full gallon.  Had girl's night with Jill and Amy this night, so I knew I had to keep up the water intake all day to combat the fun that evening! :)  I also got a wonderful haircut by Miss Nadia in the morning, nothing but complements all weekend :)

Day 10:  Tunes

These are just a few selections from my VERY eclectic running playlist.  There is a little bit of everything in there, and I swear every time I feel like I need a change of pace, the genre will change and it will be exactly what I needed!