{Wordless Wednesday} Color Me Rad Edition

It Might Be Raining, But I'm A Damn Rainbow!

Today I woke up to gray skies and light rain. Not the ideal weather for my first 5K of the year, but it goes hand in hand with the events that lead up to the fun run this week.

The hubs and I were supposed to do this run today, but my mom ended up going to Aruba and my FIL was attending my nieces dance recital. (This is what happens when you buy a Groupon and register months in advance, right?!) We thought about leaving my daughter in charge for the few hours that we would be gone, but then my husband opted to stay home with them (she's old enough to babysit - they just don't always get along), so I went ahead alone. Thankfully I knew someone else who was going to be there, because I couldn't find anyone willing to takes the hubs' race bib.

After sitting in crazy ass traffic to get into the parking lot at PNC Arts Center, I met up with Maria (@mariacmelendez) and we headed up to the Start Gate. We had amazingly epic timing, because our 9am wave was just getting ready to start when we arrived. They just so happened to have everyone turn around to begin, which put us only 5 people back from the starting point.

 

#JerseyStrong

Today's Color Me Rad was being help in partnership with Jersey Strong, to help raise money for the rebuilding of the Jersey Shore after Sandy destroyed so much of it this past October.

With music pumping, people cheering and the rain falling, we were off!

The course was not as nice as The Color Run, at all. This one had some steep hills which became dangerously slick with the rain falling and the amount of people running. We also had some sections that looped into the grass, which also became slick and muddy, not to mention some really narrow parts where we would bottle neck because it was uphill and people were opting to walk instead of run. Overall it was a fun time!

We finished the run in 33 minutes which leads me to believe the course was not a full 5K - but closer to 2.6 miles. We were held up too many times to have finished a full 3.1 in that time. I wish I would have had my RunKeeper on, but I opted to put my phone away to keep it safe from the elements. Either way, we did awesome and had fun!

 

The weather was gray, but were rainbows, dammit!

I was wondering if there would be a difference between Color Me Rad and The Color Run, and the answer is yes! Color Me Rad uses powdered colors much like The Color Run, however, they also had two color stations that were liquid color, and I thought that was pretty cool. I actually thought that the color from this race would be harder to remove from my body, hair and clothing, since they use the liquid color as well, but I was wrong. Showering was super easy and there was no trace of color on my shirt after one washing. (This might not be a good thing if you WANT the color to stay in your shirt as a keepsake/trophy. In that case, simply spray your shirt with vinegar and iron it, to set the color.)  I'm not sure if weather conditions play a role in this or if it is just a difference in product. Either way, Color Me Rad wins in the color removal process.

The other difference, was that Color Me Rad actually had photographers throughout the course taking photos, as well as photo areas at the end of the race. The Color Run only offered the photo area at the end of the race,where you could have professional photos done. In all honesty, I don't know what Color Me Rad is going to charge for the photos taken on race day yet. With The Color Run, I paid a $5 flat fee for the photos and that covered my entire team! I was able to download the digital files and print them at my local photo processing studio. For now, Color Me Rad wins in the photo department because of the on-course photographers, but that could very well change once I hear what it will cost me to purchase these photos.

I ran these at two different venues, but I preferred the course from The Color Run better. It was much wider, which was nicer for those who were running it like a race. It gave enough room for runners to pass those who wanted to walk or just goof-off and it was primarily black top, which was nice and stable. A win for The Color Run!

The other thing liked about Color Me Rad, was that they were giving away prizes at there Finish Line Celebration. I heard them giving away hoodies, t-shirts and 1 year memberships to WOW! (Work Out World) who was a sponsor of this event.

Want to see the professional photos from The Color Run we did? CLICK HERE!

 

Jersey Shore themed cars in the parking lot - sponsored by WOW

 

Thank you Red Bull, for the sample of your new Cranberry flavor!

Overall, Color Me Rad received more "wins" in this post, but I still preferred The Color Run's set up! Would I do the Color Me Rad again? Absolutely! I think 5K's like these are a ton of fun and I'm looking forward to doing The Color Run again in August! Care to join us in August - contact me! Do you have a favorite fun run? I'd love to know which one you think I should keep an eye for!

Celebrating A Milestone

Yesterday was Fitness Friday and I reached a pretty big milestone! For the first time ever I hit double digits on a run/walk! The furthest I had ever walked prior, was 8 miles back in 2010. My furthest run was 7.5 back in early March.

I started out running yesterday and for some reason, I just kept going. Hitting that double digit has been something I've wanted to do for awhile now, but I never really went for it. I started to get tired and struggled for a little while around miles 4 & 5. That little voice of negativity in my head started to beat me up, but I pushed through and decided I was going for it. I shut that little voice up by deciding that my time didn't matter today, all that mattered was hitting my mileage of choice.

Once I made up my mind, the rest was pretty easy. I slowed down and walked when I needed to and picked up the pace and ran when I felt good. I have to get my legs used to carrying me for longer runs and they're not quite ready to do that yet. Until they are, there is nothing wrong with slowing down to a light jog or fast paced walk.

I know that with determination, time and practice, I will be able to run the full 10 miles. My goal is actually 13.1 with a respectable pace, but I have to remember that it takes time to build up to that. I have to remove the self imposed pressure that I place on myself to perform at great levels. I have to learn how to celebrate my milestones, instead of getting mad that I didn't reach them at a certain level, or by glancing over them to start working towards the next goal.

Over the past four years, I have skipped many celebrations and I regret that. I regret pushing myself towards the next goal instead of taking some time to reflect on where I came from and what I just achieved.

The beauty of this journey is that I am always learning...and as a result, I will continue to grow as a person.

Yesterday I put the Further in #FurtherFasterForever. Down the road I hope to add the Faster, but I have Forever to work at it and enjoy the celebrations as I go.

{Semi-Wordless Wednesday} 100 and Counting!

 

Monday's run brought me to my longest run to date!

 

Tuesday's 10k brought me to my first milestone ......... 100 miles ran, so far this year!

Slow Going, But Still Moving

Well, after cranking out 27+ miles in one week, I managed only 6 miles last week. Sigh...

I know, 6 miles isn't awful and it's only 4 miles off from the minimum of 10 miles per week that I set for myself. Little setbacks just tend to aggravate me, and so does having my routine thrown off!

Mother Nature has not been cooperating with my goals as far as running goes. Last week it was brutally cold out and it brought my routine to a screeching halt. I don't mind running in the cold at all, however when you team -16 wind chills up with icy roads, it raises the risk of falling and breaking something. That doesn't sound like fun to me and would end up halting my goals even further!

As a result of moody Mother Nature, I've been lifting weights, doing yoga and tossing in some of the Quick Workouts I have post here in the past.

I really wish I liked the treadmill, I've just never felt comfortable on one and as a result, gave ours away a few years back. I was supposed to head out and hit the pavement today, but the snow started sooner than I hoped and the roads became slick very quickly. Hopefully tomorrow I can squeak a few miles in since I'm at a total of zero miles for this week. Sigh...

What do you do when Mother Nature rears her bitchy head? Do you push through anyway or hit the treadmill instead? Any tips on learning to love the treadmill?

{Update} 26 Miles For 26 Victims

Last week I blogged about signing up for the 26 Miles For 26 Victims event that #FurtherFasterForever was running over on their site. When I decided to do this, I knew it was a lofty goal, but I knew I was capable of doing it.

This was not an easy to do, especially for a newbie to running like me. My legs were sore, my knees started to hate me and I ended up doing quite a bit of speed walking during some of these miles, but I did it and that's what counts!

I am over the moon happy with this accomplishment, but the cause I did it for is such a somber one. Each one of those miles I ran represented a child or teacher that was taken from their loved ones too soon. A person who set out about their day like we all do, everyday. A child who was excitedly waiting for Santa to arrive and teachers who were planning their shopping and holiday festivities with loved ones, but never got to see those anticipated moments.

Each mile made me appreciate all that I have, especially the two miles that we did as a family. It might not be much, but it is mine and I will treasure it for as long as I am blessed enough to have it.

{Wordless Wednesday} My Week In Fitness So Far

26 Miles For 26 Victims

This week I will be pushing myself harder than I ever planned, but the cause is one that touched me deeply.

I will be completing 26 miles from January 14th - January 20th as part of the #FurtherFasterForever Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Run & Ride.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Run & Ride is an opportunity for you to get out and be active while donating 100% of the entry fees to the victims families and first responders of the tragedy that happened on December 14, 2012 in Newtown Connecticut. #FurtherFasterForever, an online community of athletes will be donating 100% of the entry fees to the HopeMob for their projects in Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary.

If you would like to join, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.

500 Miles or Bust!

That's the goal for 2013!

I have until December 31, 2013, to complete my goal of logging 500 miles of running. I'm both excited and nervous about this new chapter in my fitness journey.

Setting a running goal is something I decided I wanted to do before the holidays, but I never thought about setting a mileage goal until I read this blog post. I had just downloaded the Run to 5k app and set a goal of being able to run a full 5k by the spring and once I could, I'd start working on my time. After reading that blog, I realized that setting a mileage goal was a fabulous idea and would help to keep me motivated.

It breaks down to roughly 10 miles a week, which isn't too crazy. Granted, there will be weeks when I may not be able to hit the 10 miles. I'm sure there will be weather, soreness and other outside influences and set backs, but I'm pretty confident that I can make it up when the weather warms up or by adding an extra shorter run to the plan.

As for right now, I've been running at least 3.1 miles (a 5k) three times a week. It's a walk/run combo that is moving more towards a full run. That distance includes a 5 min walking warm-up and cool-down, which I hope to tack on in the beginning and end of the full 5k (to increase my distance) as I become more confident in my running. Today my legs are really not happy with my running three consecutive days, so I plan on doing some lifting, a nice yoga session and then seeing how I feel as the day progresses.

(It's going to be almost 55 degrees in January! I don't know if I can resist going out for one today.) I am however, smart enough to listen to my body. If my legs protest, I'll do an easy run with lots of walking. (Mileage is mileage and an injury will just be a major set back that I do NOT want!)

Part of my goal is to also get used to running on different terrains, since I do an annual 5k that is mainly on a wooded trail. For the most part I have been training on pavement, but last week I added my local fitness trail back into the mix. I am much slower on the rocky terrain and my legs fatigue much faster, but that's okay! I feel a much different burn when I'm doing it and I go into it knowing that it's going to take time to adjust.

Sooooo...wish me luck as I run towards my new goal! I haven't felt this inspired since I did P90X for the very first time 3years ago!

Want to join me in a 2013 goal? If so, let's hear it and cheer each other on!

The Perfect 10

As usual, I was trolling around Pinterest and stumbled upon this. I used it instead of a run since the weather around here has been yucky. I felt a major burn in my lower body and teamed up with a plank hold. I really need to get back to my plank challenge, I seem to have lost some of my strength here.

I'm not a fan of the treadmill, nor do I have one (or access to one) anymore. I'm also not a fan of running in the rain, which is why I've been looking for short, yet solid at home workouts. What are your favorite workouts to do instead of running when the weather doesn't cooperate? 

Semi {Wordless Wednesday}

...Just Don't Stop

Over the past few weeks, I have told myself this many times while working on my running. You see, I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. When I set a goal, I get tunnel vision, and I can sometimes brutally push myself to that goal.

Now pushing in such a manner isn't always a bad thing. If I didn't push myself, I might still be overweight, out of shape and unhappy. If I didn't push myself, I wouldn't be sitting here sharing my story with you. (I know, that's a very sad thought, right? What would you all do without my blog?!)

However, sometimes I push so hard, I forget to celebrate the small victories. I forget to be proud of the strides I have made. I forget to enjoy the journey I have pushed myself to take.

I often have to internally yell at myself while I run. I have to remind myself that the fact I laced up my sneakers, put on my running clothes and headed out in the cold to get a run done is a big win, all by itself. I need to remind my inner bully that Rome wasn't built in a day and part of the learning process is going at a slower pace.

After over 3 years, I am still learning. I'm learning new aspects of fitness and nutrition. I'm learning just how strong I am and most importantly, I'm learning to have patience with myself.

The funny thing is, I tell people who come to me for guidance to be patient all the time. I tell them exactly what this graphic says " It doesn't matter how slow you go, as long as you don't stop." Maybe it's time for me to start listening to myself, cause you know what? I give some really good advice.

New Additions and Holiday Traditions

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been MIA lately, but things always tend to get hectic around this time of year. Being as I am a cake decorator and the hubs is a letter carrier, the holidays spark an increase in hours for both of us. It also seems that we have both been doing some hardcore drugs, cause we decided our family needed a new puppy. Yes, you read that correctly, a new puppy. I blame the show "Too Cute" which airs on Animal Planet. I also blame the convenient timing of the pet adoption at Petsmart, which just happened to be going on the day after I watched a "Too Cute" marathon AND the fact that I happened to have my son out running errands with us. You see, a puppy is something he has been begging us for. Without further delay, I introduce you to our little bundle of fur, cuteness and pointy little fangs...

[caption id="attachment_2391" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Meet Jax. He's a Catahoula/Beagle mix who is currently trying to sit on my lap along with my laptop...sigh...[/caption]

Now that you have been mesmerized by his cuteness, let me tell you that puppies are like newborns! I forgot what having a newborn was like since our youngest is 8 years old now and it's been 13 years since we've trained a puppy. Jax has been with us for almost 2 weeks now and I think we are all starting to settle in, get into a routine and hopefully we will be sleeping through the night soon.

My other issue is that while he is like a newborn at night, he is like a toddler during the day. He is super curious and has to check out everything.

This weekend, like every year since I was little, we put up the Christmas tree. Poor Thanksgiving tends to be nothing more than a day that people eat too much and finally don't feel like freaks for wanting to listen to holiday music, shop for presents and break out the holiday decor.

With a new puppy in the house, I had to approach the tree a little differently. I made sure I secured it to the wall, so when I have to army crawl under it to retrieve his tiny butt, I don't knock it over. We also didn't put any breakable ornaments on the bottom a) so he doesn't knock them off, break it and then eat something that could hurt him. b) so we don't kill him for breaking our memories.

[caption id="attachment_2393" align="aligncenter" width="500"] 

Our tree with three of my favorite ornaments. The stockings sum up how my kids feel about each other, while the cd ornament I made a few years back, capture them at what I think might be their cutest.[/caption]

Our tree is my favorite part of the holidays. We have an eclectic collection of ornaments that we put on it, ranging from handmade/photo ones that the kids have made over the years at school, to figurines from the mobile that hung above my crib when I was an infant. Our tree is full of memories and I love unwrapping each ornament and remembering a moment from my past. It warms my heart and also makes me sad at times, because there are loved ones who are no longer with us, but special ornaments that represent memories with them.

The kids love putting the tree up...ok...they love hounding me to put the tree up, come in, select their favorite ornaments, put them on the tree in the worst spots ever and then leave me to fix things. Yes, I admit, I let the kids put stuff on the tree and then rearrange things to my liking when they disappear to their rooms. Don't act like you don't do the same...pfft!

I know this post is a little all over the place, but so is my life. I have however been very consistent with my Couch to 5K! This past week I had to shift my run days around due to my work schedule, but it worked out well because I got to go out and do my own personal Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day. Tomorrow starts week 4, which means I am at the halfway point. I look forward to seeing what the next few weeks bring, since I have steadily improving. Yesterday I beat all of the my previous pace/time/distant stats, which made me really happy.

I hope everyone is ready to have a happy and healthy holiday season. Hopefully I will be a little better about finding time to post here, too.

{Fitness Friday} Let's Talk Apps

This week I have been focused on getting back into my fitness routines. Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy brought the hubs and I to a halt last week, when she slammed into the East Coast leaving us without power or heat for almost a week.

Monday I restarted the third week of Phase 3 for P90X. I use the official P90X app to track my progress (I forgot to take a screen capture of it and to be honest, I'm being lazy and don't feel like doing it now to insert in this blog. Yeah, I know, I'm a slacker...get over it!)

I also decided that I wanted to give running a shot again, so I downloaded a Couch to 5K type of app, laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement. I have always struggled with pacing myself and endurance, so following an app seemed like the most logical step for me, and I really like it.

 

5K Runner: 0 to 5K run training. I love that I can use it with RunKeeper and it prompts you over whatever music you're listening to as to when to run/walk. Well worth the $2.99[/caption]I addition to the this app, I use RunKeeper which I LOVE. I enjoy being able to set goals (which I honestly end up forgetting about and not hitting, but I'm work on that, ok people! Don't judge me.) I like that I can post my runs to social media, look back at all of the ones I've completed and link up with people I know on my "street team".

RunKeeper - If you walk/run/bike, etc, I highly recommend this app! It also has a coaching feature which I haven't tried.[/caption]Another app I started using this week is Daily Yoga. I heard about it yesterday from the lovely Jac. She started using it and just happened to tweet about how much she liked it, just as I was logging on to ask for yoga DVD recommendations. Talk about timing, right?!

 

Daily Yoga - I have to be honest, the accent of the person instructing you makes me giggle. I have only done one routine so far, but I like this app. There also seems to be a routine difference between the iPhone and Android platforms. Droid users seem to have more FREE routines. Sigh.[/caption]Last but not least comes MyFitnessPal. I have blogged about my using this app before, but consistent, I am not. (Human I am, which is why I am not consistent.) I started using this again today, because of the success I have had in the past. Also, thanks to Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and the lack of power, eating healthy became a slight issue and I am trying to correct the small cravings I have since developed thanks to Pop-Tarts entering my house again. (Hey, there are just so many non-perishable food items to choose from, especially when people are attacking the shelves like the world is going to end. Which it clearly wasn't, the Mayan's said we until late December for that...duh!)

MyFitnessPal: Because if you dont track what you eat, your ass will![/caption]So there you have it. A glimpse into the apps I use, to try and keep my fitness-ADD-having-self on track and motivated! I'd love to hear of any apps you use to stay on track and record your progress. Be sure to let me know if I'm missing out on something by commenting!