Sleepy, Frozen, Thawed, Sleepy

So far this pretty much describes my Saturday! Before I start, you may have noticed that I took Thursday and Friday as rest days this week. My Wednesday workout made me pretty sore so I just stretched a lot on Thursday. Friday is almost always a rest day for me because I try to do a long run every Saturday.

This morning I woke at 6am and got ready for a special treat! My friends E and J and I met at 7am for a run! We drove to Peninsula, a lovely town a few minutes away and met up with our Church’s running group that meets monthly for a prayer followed by a long group run. Today was only 5 miles but is was 20 degrees out and felt like 4 so I got to try out some new winter layers I bought!

Dick’s Sporting Goods was running some pretty good sales on Reebok so I treated myself to that pink fleece ear wrap that I bought just in time! The blue thin long sleeve shirt is made of some cool tech material that definitely kept me dry this morning. I wore a thin tight tech t-shirt under that.

Lastly, I got this windbreaker on sale that really served me well this morning.

I also stopped by Second Sole, our neighborhood specialty running store to pick up some more goodies. I got some reflective arm bands so my hubby feels more comfortable with me running at night. Then, I got these MAGICAL socks! They are thin wool socks that go over your ankle and are contoured to your feet. They were well worth the money as my feet were toasty the entire run! LOVE THESE SOCKS!

  

The next items on my list to get me through winter running in Ohio are:

- warmer gloves

- warmer, lined pants…my leggings just aren’t going to hold up to the cold winds for much longer. My hips and thighs felt like ice blocks!

So I woke up Sleepy…then felt Frozen for my 5 mile run with the girls…then I thawed out in a warm bath…

Then I had my first ever Herbal Body Wrap!

and now I’m Sleepy again :)

I’ll return later after a nap (or 2) with a review on the body wrap!

Sore but COZY!

Yesterday I picked C up at 5:25am and we went to the gym. We needed to catch up after the holiday so we picked the bike and talked for about 4 miles :) C ran for a bit afterwards and I did strength training. I did a mini-circuit between abs, triceps, biceps and legs by doing the following with 8lb dumbbells: Crunches (no weight), triceps extensions, curls, lunges, side raises for obliques and then REPEAT!

I am definitely sore this morning and will probably be for a while until I take some time to stretch and possibly go for a run. I know the dog sure looks like she wants to run…she’s been laying by the front door since I woke up :)

Getting up early made for a long day but the hubby and I spent the evening drinking coffee, listening to holiday tunes and decorating! Here are some shots from the last two nights.

Here I am (mischievous face). K2 was taking forever picking out a tree!

After a while in our warm house, the tree started to spread it’s branches. Please tell me you adore our paper shades on our windows :)! We will be painting soon and then I can finally be forced to decided on window treatments :( I may just tell my mom or C or A to pick some out..they’ve all got better decorating sense than I.

Kevin was in charge of lights while I unpacked and organized the ornaments.

We bought this beautiful pre-lit wreath last year for a steal!

   

We’ve got about a GAZILLION more ornaments we could put up but we ran out of hooks so their on the shopping list along with light bulbs for the window candles.

I made these ceramic stockings with my friends A and C about two years ago and I’ve been waiting for a tree to hang them on.

Cheers and Happy Thursday! I’m really hoping I complete all my workouts this week because I’m dying for time in the Jacuzzi and Sauna!

PS: Kevin got me an Herbal Body Wrap..I’ll be sure to tell you more about that soon :)

Too Bundled Up?

It was freezing yesterday but then today was kind of a surprise! All morning I was thinking how cold it looked outside as a plowed away at work. I knew that if I wanted to get a workout in today it would have to be during lunch, because our evening was packed with stuff to do.

At noon, Mina and I dashed out the door and within 20 minutes I was in a full on sweat! The dog is a great running partner because she always offers to hold my stuff when I want to shed layers of clothes :) I was shocked that the sun was keeping me so warm and that my 3 layer outfit was really unnecessary. By the second mile, I had unzipped my puffy vest and also tied my scarf around the dog's running harness. I had stuffed my gloves inside my leggings and was VERY thankful that I didn't wear a head-wrap or my hat.

I don't mind being a little cold when I run, but I know how nice a warm core feels when you're running in the cold and breathing can be a little tough. However, I was DEFINITELY too bundled up for today's run and I believe I've learned my lesson.

Note To Self: Wear layers that I can also attach to Mina when I get too warm :)

Hello Again!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving weekend! I am back in Ohio, back at work and back on my computer. I made a last minute choice as we packed the car last Wednesday to leave my Dell at home and take a few days away from the machine while I spent time with my family in Maryland and Pennsylvania! I had a great time reconnecting with family and friends, eating holiday treats and yes…exercising!

The morning of Turkey Day I set out for my own Turkey Trot with our dog, Mina, and completed somewhere around a 6 mile run. The weather was chilly but it was nice being outside since I knew I’d be inside the rest of the day…eating :) I made brunch in the morning then we shuffled over to spend the evening with more family for Thanksgiving dinner.

Friday was spend shopping while Kevin played in a gold tournament. That evening we went out for dinner and saw the 3-D version of The Christmas Carol. It was a great movie that I’d recommend everyone go see!

Saturday I knew we’d be driving all over MD to hang with friends so Mina and I started the morning with a 3 mile run.

Yesterday we drove back home to Ohio. The traffic and traffic related accidents were so bad that we opted to take a back road most of the way but it was fun. Kevin and I love road trips! Needless to say, yesterday was a rest day.

I’m contemplating an Exercise TV workout because I can get my sweat on in 20 minutes which leaves time for grocery shopping and putting up some holiday decor this evening!

Cheers to being back in the saddle again :)

Sweat Trumps Turkeys

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving! I am pumped to get out of town and head east for a long weekend with my family and friends! Ohio is not my original home town but I’m sure I’ll miss it a bit. We are packing the car and bringing the dog and I can’t wait! I know a bunch of folks are getting up early for a Turkey Trot so GOOD LUCK to you all!

This week has rushed by and I’m itching to get outside and run! Yesterday C picked me up at 5:25 so we could be at the gym when the doors opened. I biked for 3 miles then did some interval training for speed on the treadmill. I ended the morning with some intense stretching which I could tell my body REALLY needed. Today is more of a rest day because I’ve got tons to do and a bunch of loose ends at work to tie up before we hit the road. I’ve planned some easy dishes for Brunch tomorrow morning but the great thing is; I can make them tonight when I get in town so I don’t need to fuss with them in the morning. That frees me up to do my own Turkey Trot and I am definitely looking forward to it.

This will be the first year where I’m making fitness a greater priority than stuffing my face with food. Let’s face it, getting in a good sweaty workout really does trump sitting around all day and stuffing your face without a workout. I am looking forward to enjoying REALLY good food and time with my family. I will enjoy it with the pleasure of knowing I made my body stronger each morning and burned some Turkey Day calories before some people even got out of bed!

Cheers to all the WrenLife readers out there. I’m thankful for you each day as I feel accountable to friends, family and fellow bloggers for being a better steward of my body! Happy Thanksgiving….maybe you will choose to let sweat trump your turkey too :)

Fall Hiking Spree 2009 Complete!

Today’s hike was the finale of my first Fall Hiking Spree. Rest assured, it will NOT be my last! Here are some pictures from the Deer Run Trail at the O’Neill Metro Park in Bath, Ohio.

This tree, at the opening to the trail, had at least 5 different colors of leaves on it!

This was the flattest part of the trail! This last hike was rated a 3 on a 1-3 difficulty scale.

   

C and her husband A

The views through the trees were amazing! I am putting this in my list when I get my snowshoes this winter!

C and her hubby at the most perfect lookout spot! This bench at the top of a hill looks out for miles.

 

 

 

    

M and A’s fur-son Oscar!

    

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Slacker-Potamus

That’s what I’ve been the last three days and I don’t like it :)

I enjoyed my run/walk with my hubby on Tuesday but the workout train has been heading off the tracks since then. Wednesday I had the best intentions of going for a run. By ‘best intentions’, I mean I changed and listened to the dog beg before grabbing her leash and heading out the door.

The plan changed when Mina saw her friend Jacques down the road and decided she’d rather play than run. She won and me and T talked while our dogs wore themselves our for about an hour. Chasing them around was the only workout I got that day.

Yesterday consisted of a late morning start and a long work day, followed by a wonderful visit to see my friend, Mary’s new daughter, Olivia! She was delivered just a few days ago and she is wonderful. We didn’t get back until later in the evening and I was exhausted!

I’m committed to putting the train back on the tracks today! My workload for is pretty good for a Friday but we have plans in the evening so I know I must fit something in before that or it will be another day lost. I do, however, want to complete my planned long run tomorrow so I’m going to try and just focus on some light cardio and strength today.

We’ll see what happens! Happy Friday to everyone!