Tuckered Out!

I was secretly planning to do a long run today but my weird sleep schedule threw me off! I woke up with just enough to time to change before we headed out the door towards Canton to find breakfast and run errands. We completely got sidetracked, but that’s what Saturdays are for!

We got home and decided that since we’ll be out most of the evening at a costume party, we should take Mina to a trail and get a good hike in.

I fell in love with this trail when my friend, K, and I used it to complete my first ‘long run’ in my half-marathon training.

                  

Mina is now passed out on the sofa and I have a hunch she’ll be there the rest of the night!

Old Flames

It’s 3:49am. I don’t know if I went to bed too early or ate dinner too late or if it’s simply a combination of those things that has caused me to be wide awake at this quiet, dark hour. I’ve got one light on in the living room and I can faintly hear the rain outside.

Most nights that I find myself awake at this hour are a result of some random marketing ideas that pop in to my brain and cause me to pull blank paper from my nightstand and write for a bit. That ides turns into another variation and so on. Soon, it’s time for the coffee machine to come on. However, that’s not what has happened tonight.

Tonight Last night we celebrated TGIF by meeting four other friends out at a bar called The Winking Lizard. It’s a great place for socializing, great beer, a long wait on a Friday, and some would even say…great food. If you would have asked my opinion a few years ago, maybe even last year, I’d agree wholeheartedly. Now, it’s 4 in the morning and I’ve had a slight epiphany.

I really don’t like that food anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, I think I like the food. That’s why I order it. I usually close out a week of hard work and great workouts with dinner out. And, I usually like it. So naturally, I ordered what most bars take pride in making, a burger and cheese fries. I ordered precisely what my hubby likes and thought I’d give it a try.

I can’t say that it wasn’t prepared wonderfully, but I can say I wasn’t excited when it was placed in front of me. It was greasy and heavy and it really didn’t taste as great as I’d expected.

Dear Burger and Fries,

It’s me, not you! I’ve been eating cleaner foods for over a year now. I’ve always allowed myself a rendezvous every now and then with a great American classic, but you just didn’t do it for me. I should have ordered the crispy chicken salad with one of those great dressings! I should’ve enjoyed a nice amber lager! Don’t take offense, I just don’t find your kind of food satisfying anymore. I hope you live a great life.

Love, Me

2% of the Crumb Cake

I’m guessing that’s how much I burned last night during my 2 mile run. While Kevin and I were out running errands, I was completely convinced we weren’t going to make it to the gym and Wednesday would be a rest day. Furthermore, I celebrated with a pastry and glass of milk at Borders, which was our last stop of the night. On the way home, however, the windows were down and the weather was great. The feeling of wanting to go out for a run combined with the fact that Mina had not been out for walk sealed the deal.

We parked in the driveway and I quickly went upstairs to change. As soon as the dog saw me get my shoes and her harness…she went crazy! She was moaning and howling and begging to go out with me. I will be sure to take some video of it next time..quite entertaining!

The 2 miles was easy and we ran at a pretty brisk pace. I was definitely sweaty and smelly, but it felt great. I was even in the mood to go to bed early and wake up for the 5:40 am CycleOps class. You all probably know me well enough to know…that didn’t happen. I’m starting to think one early morning class a week is all I can muster the will for :)

I realize that as soon as it gets gray and gloomy and snowy out here, I won’t have a choice but to go to those morning classes. I’m hoping that I can go enough to learn some of the routine so I can do it at home on days where going outside seems like a chore :) I’m also still hoping we’ll buy snowshoes and try that sport during the winter!

I Miss You Allison..kind of

I had every intention of going to Boot Camp this morning and thought that maybe the lethargic cold-coming-on feeling I was having yesterday was just a fluke. No such luck :(

I woke up at 5:15am and my body was screaming for some serious stretching and more rest. I agreed and went back to sleep for a while. While I’m bummed that I have to wait a whole week for the next Boot Camp class, I am hoping I feel well enough to run outside later today. The weather-man is calling for rain all day which may cancel our Fall Hiking Spree date but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

My Sans-Boot-Camp morning consisted of a few simple pleasures. I rolled out the yoga mat and did some stretching until my body felt limber and relaxed. I could feel some tension in my shoulders and lats, probably from my morning torture session Bosu class on Monday.

I also cracked my first smile of the morning while I poured some hot coffee into my Aynsley mug! Yes, if you ever wonder where my name comes from…Aynsley China is a brand of fine china sold in England. This pattern is old and discontinued and I found it a few years back.

Don’t believe me? There’s my name on the bottom!

  

Maybe I should start signing my name with a crown on top…just kidding :)

Alright! Here’s wishing everyone a great day and let’s all try to get some kind of workout in today!

Mixed Emotions

Don’t worry, these aren’t mixed emotions over life changing events or impending decisions. I have mixed emotions about…

6 am Bosu Class

I woke up at 5:15 5:20am which gave me just enough time to go to the bathroom, find clothes, put on my shoes and fill my water bottle before grabbing an apple and walking out to C’s car. It was freezing outside. I’ve officially put ‘Pants’ on my shopping list. You know, something to wear over your shorts while your going from home to car and from car to gym every morning. Trust me, I didn’t need pants at 6am when Allison walked in the door and began doling out her morning cup of torture.

For those of you who don’t know what a Bosu is, it looks like this…

(click on the Bosu to learn more about the concept)

…and it feels like this…

Allison began the class with a bunch of stepping and hop-over moves to get our heart rate up. Everything we did centered around the Bosu. She filled the second half of the class time with strength moves using a medicine ball. I used a 6lb ball in her Boot Camp class last week but I used a 4lb ball this morning because I knew I’d have enough trouble with my form.

Overall, the class was the perfect combination of cardio, balance work, strength moves and ab work. While I liked it, the Bosu Class comes in third with Boot Camp taking first place and CycleOps taking second. I’m sure I’ll learn to like it more, but I have a feeling it will be my least attended of the three.

Happy Monday everyone!

Wish Me Luck

C is picking me up in the morning and I'm going to try Allison's 6am Bosu class at my gym! Yes, the Allison that kicked my tail last Wednesday in Boot Camp. I wonder is Men show up to this class too?

Have you ever tried Bosu? If so, leave a comment and tell me what you think!

I've been on this kick of learning what classes I like at the gym so I'm prepared for those days where it's too windy or snowy and I don't want to be outside.

I'm done the Dean Karnazes book but I'm excited to try out is 'Run-about' concept. I'll tell you more about that soon!

Chow?

Good Friday!

I’ve got a feel today is gonna rock! I woke up at 6:30 and ran about 3 miles with the dog and I’m glad I did because it’s raining now and I think it’s supposed to rain for the rest of the weekend. I’m working a half-day today and then I’m off to take the family to Hartville. There’s a shop there that just screams my mother’s style and I’m taking her there.

Who knows what the rest of the day holds but that’s why I’m so excited.

Have a great Friday and try to get a workout in…it feels so good when you do!

Fall Hiking Spree!

Last night, our little group hiked the Deep Lock Quarry trail and its was beautiful. I was definitely feeling a slight burn during the hike, thanks to Allison’s Boot Camp class at the gym. To tell you the truth…I’m still feeling a little sore today.

Here are some shots during our drive to the trail. With weather like this, Kevin and I could just drive around all day!

 

There were only a handful of other families on the trail so it seemed like we had the park all to ourselves. We didn’t bring the dog this time and it gave us the opportunity to really take in the scenery.

 

We lucked out and got to see the Cuyahoga Valley train pass. I think the CV park is the only one to have a railway run right through it? I could be wrong :(

 

Kevin and Andy being their usual selves!

     

Who knows what my husband is up to in that pic.

Alright, I’ve got a full work day before family starts arriving! I have a feeling that my only workout will be taking the dog for a walk.

Sweaty Ears

Yes, that’s all I could think about at 6:30 this morning while sweet little Alison was kicking my butt!! C introduced me to Alison a while back as one of the trainers and group fitness instructors at my gym. I also saw her the morning of the Akron Half-Marathon. She’s in great shape and I’ve heard her classes are awesome, so I decided to try Boot Camp from 6-7am this morning. An hour has gone by and I’m typing this while still in ‘recovery’ :)

The class had roughly 20 people in it and I got there a bit early to find out where it was and what equipment we needed. After getting my mat, step and 6lb medicine ball and setting up a space on the gym floor, I was surprised to see a slew of men coming through the door. That was the first sign that this wasn’t just some ‘step aerobics – 5lb dumbbell class’.

The morning went a bit like this:

1 min on, 1 min light jog between these: high knees, butt fire (kicks), shuffles, crossovers, etc.

Interval sprinting from one end of the gym to the other

This brought us to the 6:30 mark where I was getting my sweat on so much that, yes, it was dripping into my ear :) Annoying…and gross..I know.

The second half of the class was filled with strength and balance work with the medicine ball. I was proud with my balance skills still lingering from years of cheerleading drills but there were a few times that I had to stop 1 or 2 reps early.

Aside from the sweaty ears, I got a great workout and it was nice to walk out of the gym at 7am before the sun came and know that I had a whole day ahead of me! I hear Alison mixes the workouts up often so I do plan to attend 6am Boot Camp again.

Later tonight I’ve got the Fall Hiking Spree and a Girl’s Night! Can’t wait!

Great 5 Miles

Today the weather was great! It's too bad I've not been able to get out an enjoy it. I'm not much of a procrastinator, BUT I have family coming to town on Thursday and tonight is the only 'cleaning day' I've got. Tomorrow will be full of trail hiking and girl's wine night. Therefore, I've been inside all day working and cleaning and doing MOUNDS of laundry. I'll at least be able to get outside for a bit during Mina's regular dog-walk.

Yesterday wasn't too horrible outside either. I left the house with Mina and planned to run for at least 30 minutes and then go with the flow after that. I turned out feeling really great and we ran all around town for about an hour...which translated to 5 miles. It felt great. I brought my iPod and my watch, but no phone. I cancelled the BiM Active program on my phone because I really don't need to track stuff right now. I'm really just trying to enjoy running so using my watch and listening to a podcast was great.

I think Kevin and I may go to the gym this evening, but I would be completely content reading my book for the rest of the evening.

Sweetest Day and Sunshine

I think I need to come to grips with the fact that as I get older, the days are ZOOMING by at an alarming rate! Friday I was happy to get out of the house at a reasonable hour after work and enjoy a 45 minute run with the dog before it got too dark.

Saturday, Kevin and I celebrate Sweetest Day which may not mean anything to anyone else, but it reminds me of all the times we drove back and forth to see each other when were were dating. One of the first weekends that we met in Pennsylvania and hung out with his extended family, fell around Sweetest Day and he went out of his way to get me a card and tell me all kinds of mushy stuff :) This Saturday, we spent the entire day together and it was great! I didn’t plan a work out for Saturday so one didn’t happen.

Yesterday was a rush from waking up to getting to church then coming home to pack dinner to driving to the in-law’s farmhouse for the football game. I made lemon chicken and steamed green beans with melon for dessert. It was great, but another rest day as well.

Today, the sun is shining and after work, I am going to take the dog for a walk, which may turn into a run if Kevin works late. I also got my first Running Times magazine this weekend, compliments of the Akron Half-Marathon. What a great way to keep folks motivated for next year’s race! I read it cover to cover and I’m now on page 250 of 50/50, the Dean Karnazes book that I can’t put down. I will definitely need something else to read before the holiday strikes!

Any good running books you know of?

Back to My New Self Again

I know most people say 'Back to my old self again' but I don't want to be my old self. Old self didn't care much about exercising, eating right, building a strong body, being a good steward of that body. Old self sucked. New self, on the other hand, is lean, strong, eating better and taking care of herself.

I'm out of the funk I was in the other day. Kevin and I went to the gym last night and I biked two miles then ran a half mile at a 10min pace and another half at an 11min pace. I also lifted weights for the first time in a long time! I did biceps and triceps last night with 2 sets of 12 reps for each move with an 8lb weight. I did state in my goals post that I want to exceed my old 10lb strength and get to 15lbs before the end of the year, so I best get crackin! I don't mind having a runner's body but I do like to see my muscles too :)

Here are some great resources I found this morning in blog world:

1. Dean Karnazes did a book review for The Runner's Rule Book. It's officially on my Christmas list :)

2. Another blogger, Shut Up and Run, wrote a great article on running in cold weather and it has some really cool links I checked out. The Runner's World tool is the neatest.

Ok ...back to work! I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Funk Tri-Fecta

Yep, that’s right. Something about the last few days has made me feel like I’m in a funk. My theory is called the Funk Tri-Fecta:

1. Weather – This week it’s turned gross here in Ohio. We are officially in the season of Overcast where the sky is gray during the day and gets increasingly darker. It’s sporadically rainy. Mina even second-guesses going outside to do her ‘business’. Also, we cancelled the Fall Hiking Spree hike last night.

2. Bare Fridge – I’ve been so busy and my weekend got away from me. That’s when I usually grocery shop and menu plan…and that didn’t happen. The result – not eating enough and when I do eat..it’s not a very clean, satisfying meal. For example, my hubby went to the store for some random pizza ingredients and on the way out I asked him to bring a cookie back…he brought a dozen! It seems like that’s what I’ve been eating every meal this week :(

3. Post-Race Pouting – I’ve been so used to a training plan and being on a schedule. I’ve really fallen in love with running, but the outdoors just don’t seem as appealing as they used to. I miss the discipline I had for so long.

OK …enough of that….I’ve changed :)

I’m always amazed at God’s timing in my life. I know I said I wanted to SLOWLY read 50/50 by Dean Karnazes but it’s so good and now I realize that I was supposed to be reading at this speed. Just when I start realizing I’m in a funk, I read chapter 18 and 19! Dean was writing for me. His focus in those chapters was all about running in colder weather AND what happens when you lose motivation/passion…aka..get in a funk.

His words were just what I wanted to hear! I woke up this morning, ate my oatmeal, filled my new water bottle up,

started a fire,

 

and got to work! I’ll either run outside for a little lunch break or leave the house promptly at 4pm and head to the gym. Can’t wait for the post-workout feeling…i miss that!

Yeah!

I got to run yesterday! It’s amazing what making time can do :) I wish I would have done it earlier in the day because the weather was great! However, I was so busy with work and then had a headache afterwards so I put it off until 6:30pm. Nevertheless, I got 3 miles in and took Mina with me. Thanks to my friend from high school and her Easy Walk Harness suggestion, it was wonderful. Mina stayed right by my side and didn’t pull a bit! Thank again A.

Yesterday was the first day this season that I woke up to a fire in the fireplace! It’s so cozy and now that I’ve got one winter under my belt, I’ve gotten really good at managing it while I work. This brick home just wouldn’t be the same if I just turned the heat on every day. Doesn’t it look like it has a nice cozy fire inside!

Today, I feel another crazy list of to-do’s piling up. No Fear - Wednesday is Fall Hiking Spree Day and the third couple we hike with has picked the trail and I can’t wait! Trail #3 here I come!

Ugh!

It's 8pm...already! I spent the morning with my sister in law and my nephew Hudson before they left to return to Indiana. I started work as soon as I got home then ran to Staples, then FedEx then Chipotle becuase I signed up to bring my friend E some dinner...she just had a baby!

I ate Chiptole, started doing some more work...and BAM...it's 8pm!

I REALY wanted to run today but now it's pitch black outside :(

I didn't want another rest day :(

Good news is that my friend Jenn finished her first Half-Marathon this weekend. I got to talk to her on the phone today as she relived every moment. I'm so proud of her!

What Rest?

I just got up from a quick nap at 'the farmhouse' which is what I lovingly call the home my in-laws just bought. They now live closer to us and the home has beautiful views and even a barn for miniature ponies. My favorite part of the whole property is a little fire pit coupled with adirondack chairs, where I sat in the sun and read my Dean Karnazas book.

Yesterday was non-stop with moving boxes, watching kids, moving boxes, making meals, unpakcing boxes, running around with the dog...etc. I was exhausted and while I did not do any scheduled, focused excersize, I'm definitely not calling it a rest day! Today is my rest day, but while I was driving home from church, all I wantedto do was run. The fall colors and smells were irresistable. I hope that feeling lingers until tomorrow :)

I'm off to help around the farmhouse a bit then we're sitting down to start a fire and watch the Cleveland Browns football game that the folks DVR'd.

Happy Sunday!

Miscellaneous & GOOD LUCK JENN!!!

I woke up yesterday morning thinking it would be a normal day. I was mistaken. While an outsider looking in would still se me doing the same things I normally do, I was actually pleasantly learning new things ALL Day yesterday.

First - A girl I went to high school with read my post about Mina’s pulling problem on the trails and made a great suggestion. As a result, I am taking Mina to PetSmart today to shop for the Easy Walk Dog Harness! I may also get her a new chew toy ;)

She obviously doesn’t know it yet…

Second – I am officially trying out the new Sharpie Pen today!

I know I‘m a dork but I ran out of pens last week and I’ve been writing with a green one since Monday and my A.D.D kicked in last night. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a few of these to try out. So Far-----they are lovely!

Third - I found a Costco near me (25 miles)..kind of :(  I’ve heard from Jenna and Kath that Costco is a great place to buy healthy foods that you may not find at your normal grocery store, and at better prices too! My friends I met for dinner last night informed me that there IS in fact a Costco close by and I plan to go there in the next week or two to browse and see if a membership is worth it. I can’t wait!

Fourth – Yesterday was a rest day…I got really busy and worked right up to the time I had to leave to meet the girls for dinner. I had a bit of a headache too. I DO plan to go to the gym at 4 and may meet C there. I feel like the rest of the weekend will be out of my control because Kevin and I are helping his parents move in to their new FABULOUS farm house!

Lastly – SHOUT OUT TO MY FREIND JENN, IN MARYLAND, WHO’S RUNNING THE BALTIMORE HALF-MARATHON TOMORROW! THIS IS HER FIRST HALF AND WE’VE BEEN CHATTING DURING OUR TRAINING FOR MONTHS NOW!

JENN – I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND I KNOW LIFE HAS BEEN HECTIC, BUT YOU’LL FEEL GREAT AT THE FINISH LINE. HAVE FUN, WISH I COULD BE THERE!

Unexpected

After a long day at work for both Kevin and I, we were excited to hit The Gorge for our second trail in the Fall Hiking Spree! Yes, I know I need to work on my photography skills. It was difficult to hold the dog back while I snapped shots as she wanted to pull me down 90% of the trail to lead the pack. We met the usual suspects in the parking lot with the dogs before heading out. C and I found it quite entertaining that our husbands were wearing the exact same Sweats & Boots apparel :)

I know we’ve only hiked two trails thus far, but this one will probably be my favorite. To really enjoy it, we need to either keep the dogs at home or get them trained better. Oscar, the wiener dog, was the only one not competing in some kind of Strongest Dog contest to see which animal could pull the most.

Here’s C and the youngest black lab, Shelby!

This was the end of the trail, which was absolutely beautiful! I didn’t really take it all in because I was busy pleading with Mina to stop pulling my arm off :)

Here’s the circus trying to get ready for a family photo :)

…and after what seemed like 15 ‘sit’ commands later, we got the shot!

        

(Me, Kevin and our dog Mina, M and the family dog Oscar, A and the family dogs Sampson and Shelby)

Before the hike, I was thinking this would kind of be a rest day since I wasn’t running or cycling or lifting weights. I was wrong. The difficulty of the trail combined with the persistence of the dog meant an unexpected workout that I can feel even this morning.

Today is another busy day but I am looking forward to dinner with my small group tonight & hoping for a lunchtime run/workout.

Full Days

Yesterday raced by and caused a few upsets in my plan :( I worked a full day after the CylcleOps class and then did a few things around the house before we jetted off to Kevin’s parent’s new house for the final walk-through. I was excited for a clean dinner of steak, mushrooms and spaghetti squash but the walk-through was longer than any of us expected. Day 1 of our Cooler 1 Plan was great until our dinner plans changed and Kevin opted for Rockne’s which is one of the most tempting places for us to eat. We gave in. I’m not guilty about it, because I feel like being overly strict and feeling guilty is not part of a clean eating lifestyle and truly gets you nowhere. No worries, Kevin and I back to The Plan today.

I did have the pleasure of picking up a new book at the library that I’ve been dying to read!

Last year I read Dean’s first book, Ultra-Marathon Man, and loved it. It was very motivational and probably contributed to my decision to race this year. I also follow his blog which you can link to on my BlogRoll on the right side of this post. I read a bit of 50/50 lat night and I’m loving it already. I usually finish books pretty quickly, but I’m trying to stretch this one through Thanksgiving. I figure that if I’m reading this, I will be more eager to continue working out through the holiday :)

Ok, time for work!

My desk is full and I’ve got a lot to do before our mystery hike tonight as part of the Fall Hiking Spree! I do plan to get some upper-body strength training done around lunchtime but we’ll see!

NUMBCROTCH

Notice - This is not a medical term. NUMBCROTCH is what you experience during your first CycleOps class. My friend J convinced me to meet her at the gym at 5:30 this morning to try our first cycling class. She ended up not showing, but she has a brand new baby to take care of so there’s no hard feelings.

The gym opens at 5:30 so I had to wait outside for a bit, but I was standing with 30 other early risers so it wasn’t bad. The cycling instructor must be popular because more than half of those early risers made a beeline to the front desk with me to get our class tokens. I am really glad I was early, because I got to meet the instructor and she was able to take time teaching me how to set up my bike correctly and read the monitor between my handle bars. Today’s workout included a warm up at our own EZ pace, followed by 4 minutes of more intense riding with a 90 second break. We continued this for about 6 or 7 splits then cooled down before stretching.

My Impression of the Class: The class is great cross-training and I could feel a completely different set of muscles working than when I run. I liked the instructor and her taste in music. 5:40am in a little early for me so I may do the Tuesday or Thursday class, but not both in a week. I may try the Saturday class at 8am but I don’t want to stop running outside on Saturdays until it gets colder. That was I don’t get burned out on cycling over the winter.

My Impression of the Workout: I first have to consider all that I had to learn and pay attention to today. I had to think about Cadence, Watts, Heart Rate, Average Power, Resistance, Threshold and NUMBCROTH! I know I could’ve worked harder and felt a better burn, which I will focus on next time. With that said, my legs for a workout and I do believe I’ll feel it in my core later today.

That’s right…there will be a Next Time! CycleOps class might just be for me :)

So Fresh and So Clean

I am back from a wonderful weekend away in Indiana. We did miss a killer chili contest back home but it was good to see Kevin’s family and our nephew. Walking through the Notre Dame campus was really nice and I spent a lot of time with Kevin which is always great. I didn’t cook the entire weekend. My sister-in-law made a big breakfast on Saturday and chili later in the day followed by pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing. The next day I devoured lasagna and garlic bread!

On the way home from Indiana last night, I thought about how much I ate and I think that my body is still acting like it’s in calorie heaven from training and running so much. I’ve decided, starting tomorrow, to clean up my food habits and commit to the Eat Clean Cooler 1 Plan for 1 week. I think I’ve convinced my hubby to do it with me too :)

What’s the Eat Clean Cooler 1 Plan?

- The Eat Clean Diet was created by Tosca Reno to help people eat cleaner, leaner foods. I’ve read most of her books and have subsequently cleaned up my eating habits and have learned to cook healthier meals.

- It her book, The Eat Clean Diet, Tosca introduces Cooler Plans that help you to get started and avoid any unhealthy habits you may have, like overeating, skipping meals, eating too many carbs, too much sugar…all that. I’ve done Cooler 1, 2 and 3 before and really liked the added energy and leaner body that came with it.

- The Cooler 1 Plan in a nutshell: Eat 5-6 meals every day, or every 2-3 hours. At each meal, you should have lean protein, healthy carbs/starches and some whole grains…and a gallon of water a day!

Luckily, I cleaned out my fridge before we left for Indiana and I went shopping today to stock up on food for this week:

Eggs, turkey breast, ground turkey, chicken breast, lean steak, celery, cucumbers, salad stuff, oatmeal, muesli, apples and a bunch of other stuff.

I’m planning to leave at 4 for a workout at the gym…but it’s been a bit hectic around here so we’ll see what happens. Happy Monday!

Go Notre Dame!?

Kevin and I are visiting in Indiana and I'm loving this last minute trip! Coming here always reminds me of when I first started dating Kevin and I flew over here to visit and played Disc Golf for the first time!

We got to spend time with our nephew, Hudson, last night and then eventually went to bed. I've definitely still got the running bug BAD, because I the first Saturday that I could actually sleep in, I didn't. I woke up at 7am and put some legging on with my new Akron Half-Marathon long sleeve tech shirt and ran 5 1/2 miles! It was cold and rainy but it was great to get outside and feel the burn again! It felt like the heavens were spitting on me during the entire run and my right thigh went numb at about mile 4 but whatever :)

After the run we ate a huge breakfast before heading over to The University of Notre Dame and tailgating. My knee hurt a bit from walking around but now we're back at the house and almost ready to eat chili for the game kick-off! Can't wait to EAT ME SOME CORNBREAD!

Time is About to Fly

We’ve decided, kind of last minute, to take a trip to Indiana to see my sister in law and her husband and our nephew! We’re riding over with Kevin’s parent’s once the work day is done. I love taking spontaneous road trips. I’m actually looking forward to a Saturday morning run through some new scenery. I have a feeling this weekend is going to race by and Monday is going to sneak up on me :(

I got a great workout in last night. Kevin planned to meet me at the gym around 6 so I left the house and ran a little over 2 miles to the gym. Once I got there, I completed two rounds of the strength training circuit and then did a 10minute ride on the stationary bike. I spent about 10 minutes in the sauna before Kevin brought my swim suit so I could hang in the pool and Jacuzzi for a bit. It felt great to run outside, even though the temperature drop is starting to effect my breathing. I’m guessing I need to start wearing gear that keeps my chest warmer, I’ve heard that helps.

Cheers to a great weekend! Take some time to get a small workout in…you’ll feel great when you’re done!

Fall Hiking Spree

I was either too busy and caught up in the corporate world when I lived in Maryland to notice beautiful parks and wonderful trails, or they didn’t exist. I’ve lived in Ohio for 3 years, and I’ve hiked more trails and run outside more than the 28 years I lived in Maryland. My town has this great program called The Fall Hiking Spree! The program challenges residents to get outside, even when it’s cold, and enjoy nature by hiking 8 or more of the trails in the park system. Once you’ve hiked those ten trails, you hand in a form and receive a free walking staff with a metal hiking shield. You earn a new shield for each year you complete The Fall Hiking Spree.

Kevin and I joined friends last night for our first hike in The Spree and loved every minute! It was great exercise and it felt great to do something different on a weeknight and enjoy being outdoors.

We all brought our dogs and Mina really had some pent up energy. It has been raining the last few days so her walks have not been very long. She couldn’t wait to explore the trail.

Along the way, the trails have built in fitness challenges. For example, lunges up hill, running steps, leg stretches on wooden beams, and here I’m trying to walk with my hands across this metal bar. I did finish by the way!

 

Yes, there was a set of Olympic rings on the trail. Here’s where the guys started horsing around. Not sure what my husband was doing here?

I can’t wait for next week’s trail. It’s a mystery, because one of the other couples is picking which one we do next! I’ve got a few more hours of work to do before I hit the gym. I’m contemplating whether to try the 5:30pm Cycling class by myself or to wait until my friend J can suffer with me and just focus on strength training a specific body part tonight. We’ll see!