Tag: Nike

The First Monday

The first Monday of 2014 is almost over 🙂 Which means that really this could have been a Monday of epic proportions… luckily it was just average. I hope everyone else had a good day. 🙂

I chose to take yesterday as a rest day like my plan called for. I actually felt pretty good after Saturday’s 8 miler. I was only slightly sore, but it was a good kind of sore, you know? So instead I turned my attention to the usual errands and laundry that needs to be done every week. I also cleaned in the inside of my car, good lord did it need it. Except that I cannot clean windows, seriously they almost look as bad as they were before I started. 😦 I finally put a new running sticker on my back window too, now I might actually be able to find it in a parking lot.

Today was a pretty good day at work. It only became really hectic towards the end. But all in all much calmer that I had expected from the first Monday. I wore a dress today that when I wore it a month ago was super comfy and very appropriate. Today however, it felt a little more scandalous. Stupid holiday indulging; too bad it all tasted so yummy 🙂 The dress has a modest V front and back and when I was walking away from my boss, she cracked up laughing. I spun around thinking there was toilet paper on my boot or something and she just smiled. Apparently my racerback tank tan lines are fairly obvious and the back of the dress showed a bit. Oops! Runner problems 🙂

Don't forget the tank top tan! — Don’t forget the tank top tan!

I was not looking forward to the gym tonight. I figured it being Monday and the new year, it would be crazy busy. Plus it was the first Monday of the month and my gym does pizza night. I have never understood the logic of that. So I had to walk past people scarfing down to get to a treadmill and ignore the smell while running. But other than that, it wasn’t busy, it was more of an average day. Woo hoo!

I was looking forward to trying out my new Garmin on the treadmill because it was supposed to work. When I ran on Saturday it had a little trouble finding a satellite, so my Nike + app had at a little faster and a little longer. Yes, I am still using both, which turned out to be a good thing tonight as the Garmin was not working. It kept vibrating that I had a pace of 00:00. I finally turned it off 10 minutes in. It said I had gone .10 of a mile, ha! Nike + tracked the run of 3.5 miles in 34:51.

Tonight felt hard. Maybe I was more tired than I thought, but my legs felt heavy and I was so stinkin’ hot. I seriously felt like I was dripping in sweat (over share!), ugh. My training plan called for 5 miles but I only did 3.5. Nike+ has a new coaching section, so I figured I would give it a shot. This is what this week looks like, um yeah, that’s a bit much for me, but I want to break 2:00 in my half, we’ll see how it goes! Otherwise back to 3x a week for the Slacker!

The Comfy chair has been getting a workout these past 2 days as well. My inner nerd girl has been celebrating the return of Downtown Abbey and Teen Wolf. Hmmm, those look odd next to each other 🙂 But both are so good! One made me misty eyed and the other made me jump multiple times.

So fingers crossed, I get some miles in tomorrow. And I think I finally figured the Garmin out, so I need to test it again 🙂

How did everyone’s Monday go?

What’s you TV guilty pleasure?

Good luck to everyone running Disney!!!

Embracing the Excuse

December has shaped up to be Slacker month. I have decided to stop stressing about it and just enjoy it. I hit my weight loss goal in January of 2013 and have stayed there for almost a year. If the scale goes up a couple pounds in December, so be it. I would rather spend the holidays enjoying time with family and friends than being the weird one who isn’t eating. Besides I am having a hard enough time with the new stupid diet restrictions my doctor gave me, I am not going to stress about counting calories and pounds. I am having troubles with my newest restrictions, some days I notice I eat hardly anything and other days way too much. I am still tracking my food everyday (Lose It) but now it’s mostly so I can try to level it out and watch my nutrient intake.

That Slacker-ness has extended to running as well. 😦 My standard 3 days a week has become 2 days a week. Ouch. On the upside, my class finally finished and all final assignments have been turned in so I am hoping that will clear up some time for running. I am aiming to finish 95% of my wrapping tonight as well. I am going to attempt some last minute shopping tomorrow so I may have a few last minute items. Fingers crossed, it is not totally insane tomorrow.

I did make it to the gym on Tuesday evening. I was cranky and tired but my goal was to do 3 miles (very Slacker). I went with the same cuckoo pattern that I had done last week. For every mile, I walked 1:30, ran the middle at a steadier pace and then ran at 7 for the last .25 mile. I also had the incline set at 2, yeah that probably should have been higher too. L Luckily, none of the TV’s had Monsters Inside Me on, and yes I checked before choosing a treadmill. I chose one near the door so I could take advantage of the occasional cold air coming in. I must have been good because I ran 10 minute miles for 3.5 miles. Usually the treadmill feels like I am slogging and my pace reflects that. I noticed that I had upped my middle steady pace, so I will aim for more of that in the future.

Today I worked, so it was up cold and early to head that way. Of course I was stuck behind a car driving below the speed limit but even with that delay I was still 25 minutes early. I should have slept longer 😦 On Saturdays I work at a different location so sometimes I end feeling as useful as a bump on a log. Other than that it was a good morning, I drove home for some lunch and braving the Target crowds to get some essentials. I also picked up some ingredients for a Crock Pot French toast recipe that I found on Pinterest. Work is having a breakfast potluck on Christmas Eve. This is amusing because I can barely boil water. 🙂

After all that the plan was to get in 5 miles. However, my stomach was not keen on that plan, stupid diet. I thought about waiting and going to the gym when I felt better but I knew I would not follow through. I was also running out of daylight, so I sucked it up and went. I was torn between going really, really slow or just hauling to get it over with quicker. I also knew 5 miles was probably not going to happen. My first mile came in at 10:23. With that hill? When I run from my house, my first mile is always SLOW as I usually walk half of it. So hearing 10:23, hot damn!

Maybe the incentive was that I knew my mom was out somewhere walking the puppy for her first long walk. Success at 1.5 miles!!! I pause Nike for some puppy time and then ran on. I threw in some loops so I could meet up with them every mile. It was great incentive to keep moving quickly 🙂 I finished at my driveway for 4.27 miles in 42 minutes, sweet! But I was also glad I was done.

Now, I’ve spent too much time in the Comfy Chair, so it’s off to wrap presents. I even have a little helper-

If she stops eating the paper that is... — If she stops eating the paper that is…

Anyone brave the chaos today?

Any races this weekend?

Running Ahead

When 2013 started I had a few running goals that I mostly kept to myself. I knew I had at least 2 half marathons in the year to come and by City to Sea in October I was hoping to break 2:15:00. That would be 11 minutes off City to Sea of 2012, so I was a little nervous. I also wanted to break 30:00 for a 5K again, just to make sure that the first time wasn’t ~~a fluke~~ just because it was the HOB fun run. I figured it may have just been the adrenaline stemming from the literally almost 100 people I knew there, it’s a very popular local event. Most races, I only know 1 or 2 other people, less stress. 🙂 In 2013, I wanted to get over the horrible mental block I had with 10K’s, I had only run 1 but I hated it so much, it was 2 years before I ran another. Give me half marathon any day. I was also aiming for 12 races through out the year.

2013 also began with a promotion and job location change. I now commuted every day. On top of that, work was insanely busy. We were going through a merger, so most days including the commute were over 12 hour days. I wasn’t getting home until after 7, and then I was so tired I usually just crashed. This went on for a few months. Running took a backseat and I became a weekend runner. 😦 My first 2 races of the year were in that time period as well. A 5K in February and the Wine Country 1/2 in March.

Also the last time I had my natural hair color, ha!!

I went into Wine Country feeling seriously under trained. I had run this half twice before so I knew the course well. I was hoping to finish near 2:25:00, so only a minute faster than 2012’s City to Sea. Then 3 minutes to the starting gun they announced a last minute course change. The out and back portion would be shorter to accommodate adding a crazy hill at the end, at mile 12.4. Seriously?! I figured I would run as much as I could and walk when I needed to. I won’t lie, I walked that entire damn hill and some after that, cursing in my head the whole way up. The shocker was that I crossed the finish line at 2:14:04. Ummm, how now? I still have no idea where that came from. I had to double check Nike, the official time and the starting clock, I was in disbelief. But then I was like, what now? I wasn’t sure I could get faster. So in June, I started Slacker Runner (thanks for joining me!), partially to hold myself accountable and to find motivation in all your stories as well (which are amazing, by the way). And to stop driving my coworkers crazy with running talk.

In June, I also ran my first 10K in 2 years and it didn’t suck!!! In fact, I ran another in July and loved it. As for 12 races, I ran in 11 events but 12 races. I am not sure how to count that. 🙂 And I finished City to Sea Half in 2:05:56. I had discovered this great path at a park in the town halfway between home and work. It helped with sticking to my training plan and I think that helped with my overall pace. I can’t wait to get back to it in the spring!

So now we are heading into 2014 and where do I go from here? I am putting my goals in writing this year, so let’s do this!

5K- Finish under 27:00

10K- Finish under 54:00

Half marathon- Break under 2:00:00 in the first half of the year. If I do– see how close I can get to 1:50:00 by City to the Sea 2014. (yikes!)

So, in order to do that I need races!!!! I am debating joining the 14 in 2014 (but more on that later). I generally plan my races only a quarter ahead and most of the time it also comes down to finances 😦 So for the beginning of the year, I am thinking-

Feb 1- Super Fun Run 5K
Feb 15- Buzz 1/2 Marathon
March 23- Wine Country 1/2 marathon ( dang hill!!!)
April 27- SLO 1/2 Marathon

So now I need to get moving, get running!!! That first 1/2 marathon is less than 2 months away. Which is making me regret finishing my Christmas shopping tonight instead of running, oops.

To everyone who has their race year mapped out, you seriously impress me.

Anyone have a goal race in the first half of the year?

Everyone ready for Christmas?

Monsters and Miles

Tuesday’s gym plan did not happen. 😦 Turns out my group wanted a few corrections on the advertising plan, so I spent the evening reformatting again. And fighting the urge to chuck my computer across the room as it froze every 20 minutes. But it was finally done. I was able to walk it down to print shop today to get it bound. My coworker, who is also in my class went to pick it up after work and they had done it wrong. She was able to get it corrected fairly quickly, but still. It was good thing she was one the picking it up because I may have lost it on the print guy. Not sure if I would have started crying or yelling, though.

Yep! The lovely folks @ I Love to Run — Yep!
The lovely folks @ I Love to Run

Adding to yesterday’s chaos, I finally paid attention to my tire pressure warning light. It has been coming on and off for the last few weeks and I had a done a pretty good job of ignoring it. I did get air put in the left front one three times, but I finally had to admit that I probably had a nail. As I was driving to work yesterday, the tire light was on and so was the frost warning. It was 24° and part of my commute is down a narrow, windy, 2 lane road with a wall of hill on one side and a ravine on the other. My overactive imagination struck yesterday and I was suddenly trying to figure out what I would do if my tire blew out. Ok, stay calm, slow down and find the soonest place to pull off to the side. But what if I jerked the wheel? Right would send me into the hill that already had landslides on a daily basis, what would a car hitting it do? Left would be like pulling a Thelma & Louise. See? Crazy imagination. So after all that paranoid thought, I got to work and asked what a good repair shop would be. One was super close, so I took my car over and walked back to work. There was a nail, they took it out and fixed the hole and my car was good to go. I walked back over to pick up my car, so some exercise!! As I picked up my car, I looked at my passenger seat and laughed. The day I take my car in and it looks like this- oops!!! It looks like I live in it.

See gym bag? I really had planned on running.

Other than the binding fiasco, today was a pretty good day. I was dismissed from jury duty without having to appear and I remembered to get a picture of our work tree. Plus plugging and unplugging all our lights is a pretty good little workout. We have 13 strands of hung around the building and all the outlets are in the ceiling, so twice a day up and down, up and down. Once I saw the completed project I was just done. All energy left me and all I wanted to do was sit and maybe read. But I had felt like a busted can of biscuits all day so I changed and drove home by way of the gym.

Only a little crooked :) — Only a little crooked 🙂

I hate the treadmill. Those felt like the hardest 4 miles of my life. I was tired and sluggish and to top it off, someone had that show “Monster Inside Me” on one of the tv’s. Yuck!!!! I kept trying not to look but it was like a magnet drawing me back. I am probably going to have nightmares about the creepy larvae things. Why would someone do that? NikeC was busting out her own miles a few treadmills away and she couldn’t help being distracted by it as well.

Back to the miles, I walked 1:30 at the beginning of every mile, I was tired. Then maintained average pace until the .8 mark and cranked it up to 7 for the last .2. It was kind of funky but I felt like I was doing something. Could only get my pace to 10:30 overall, though. I swear I am slower on treadmills than outside. 😦 And I apparently started my Nike+ in the parking lot getting out of my car, so oops 🙂

Tomorrow I have to turn in the dang advertising plan and prepare for final presentations next week. I am so ready for this class to be over. I probably won’t get in any running until the weekend but its also supposed to 70° again, so woo hoo!!!

So tell me, am I the only one whose imagination goes into overdrive at times?

Does anyone like the treadmill? And if so, help!!!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

So much pink!

Baby, it’s cold outside! Shouldn’t be a surprise as it’s December, but every time I walk out the door, brrr! Yesterdays run was so cold, I think my cheeks were wind burned. Which is sad because it was around 38. Toasty compared to some other places.

Pardon the bald look, my cheeks were so cold!!!

I didn’t get back from shopping until almost 4 and the temperature was dropping but I wanted to run. I changed as fast as I could into what I hoped was warm and was running. I ran the exact same route as Saturday. Not sure if it was that I was feeling better or if the cold was the incentive but I took 4 minutes off of the previous days time. Woo hoo! I felt good and would have like to run more but the setting sun was against that. 😦 As I was stretching out afterwards, I realized just how pink I was. Not only were my cheeks pink and stinging, my clothes were too! I don’t think I have ever worn that much pink before.

This was also the first time I had ever run in full length pants not capris. I had picked them up while shopping on Sunday, and figured it was cold, why not try them out first thing? They were awesome. They never moved or slipped and felt comfy the whole time. The waistband was still higher than I would like but I think that’s just me. The odd thing is that I bought these exercise pants at Abercrombie (I know, I know, but I really like their sweaters, even when I was 40 lbs heavier). Random I know, but I have not been liking the pricey Nike capris or the numerous pairs of Fila I own. I had to go up a size and I was hoping for a lower waist but so far, worth the money. Which was the best part- $20! They washed well the first time, so now to see how long they last.

I also picked up a running skirt (my first one!) on clearance at Sports Authority and a new pair of knee socks. I also finally treated myself to some new jeans (amazing Gap coupon!). I only had one pair. Losing weight is awesome, but it was a real hit to my budget. I don’t wear jeans that often but it was making things a little tricky. My mother on the other hand became a veritable clothes horse when she lost all her weight, so I was usually calling her on the Thursdays before Friday Jean Day, crying help! I need pants!

My family is incredibly hard to Christmas shop for but I think I managed to pick something out for my brother. I am 99.9% positive that he does not read this, but just in case, that is all I am saying. Now if I can just figure out everyone else before Christmas. Managed to finish my Secret Santa shopping too, now fingers crossed, it gets here in time!

At work, we finally managed to get our Christmas tree decorated, but this Slacker forgot to get a picture. I also apologized to my boss, because as I was tumbling on Friday, I managed to break one of her icicle decorations. Sorry!!

The plan is to hit the gym tomorrow night and get a couple miles in on the treadmill. That will depend on how far I manage to get with my advertising plan. This post has been a wonderful distraction from the headache of formatting but I better get back to it! The Sing-Off is pretty distracting too 🙂 And I am on standby for jury duty again tomorrow, so who knows?

How was everyone’s Monday?

Anyone like jury duty?

Anyone else singing along?