Sunny Sunday!

Good morning!  

I haven't been on here in almost a week and I miss my little baby blog!  I am going to keep this short and sweet because the sun is shining and we need to get out today and enjoy it.  

Workouts 

Friday - 3 miles 

Saturday - 14 (awful) miles 

Sunday - Rest 

So I am really pumped up to start a new challenge tomorrow with Gina over at Fitnessista!  

The challenge starts up tomorrow, June 3rd, so today I'll be gathering everything to make sure next week is a success.  If you have been looking for something to get you motivated or out of a rut check out her blog!

Yesterday's long run was suppose to be ran with Katie but due to some personal issues Katie wasn't able to meet me for the run.  It probably worked out for the best because the entire 14 miles was one long crap-fest (not literally).  I kept waiting for the moment to finally hit when it started to feel okay and not a struggle with each step.  That moment never came and I was never so glad to have a run be done.  As soon as I came home I stretched and jumped in an ice bath because my body just hurt.  

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As the day went on I started realizing I was dehydrated and that was probably a large cause to my awful run.  Today and from now on I have to start focusing on getting more water during the day.  I try to drink water throughout the day but it isn't nearly as much as I should be getting.  

Next week is a full week for our little family full of lots of good stuff.  It will be a good lesson in time management and on Tuesday June 4th I'll be starting a 4 week series on just that, Time Management.  I am by no mean an expert in the subject but I have picked up a few things that have worked for me.  I'll be posting a new blog post on different areas of Time Management each Tuesday during the month of June and hopefully we can all learn something from each other's experiences.  At the end of the month I'll be doing a GIVEAWAY of Laura Vanderkam's book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.  

OK the sun is shining and it is time to get this wagon train moving!  Enjoy your Sunday and don't forget to check out Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up Challenge!

I leave you with our Saturday night crack up 

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I've Decided to Give Up Running

Just Kidding!  April Fools!  

Good morning!  

I headed to the gym this morning to see how the hamstring was feeling and it is getting there.  I could feel it a little bit as I ran so I decided to stop.  I am going to play it extra cautious this week, I would rather take a week off then risk anything serious.  PT appointments, PT bills and my lost sanity aren't worth pushing it.  Instead I focused on some cross training, stretched and walked on the treadmill.  Thank you so much for all of your advice on Friday's post!  Icing and stretching did wonders this weekend!

Did you all have a good Easter?  We did!  The Easter Bunny brought the girls each a new running outfit, or in Katherine's case a jumping outfit.  

We also did an Easter Egg hunt!

And of course dyed some eggs, aren't they beautiful?!

We went out to an Easter buffet instead of cooking a big meal and it was a fun experience.  It was also nice to be able to spend the whole day together instead of me locked away in the kitchen.  Today I am going to get the cleaning process started and get some suitcases packed.  We leave at the crack of dawn Friday morning and I don't like waiting till the last minute.  We are staying in Montana a couple extra days than previously planned but I do believe I'll see Oregon at some point this month.  Seeing all of my friend's pictures this weekend with their green grass and blooming trees is so exciting!  When you are in a place for so long you forget to take in its beauty and I honestly live in one of the most beautiful places in Oregon.  Seriously can not wait to get home!  

I also have to share that I am about 50% of the way through the book 168 Hours and loving it.  Expect a review in the next couple of weeks.  If anyone else is currently reading it I would love to hear your thoughts!  

How was your Easter? 

Did you have a long run this weekend? 

Do you give yourself extra time to heal when you have an injury?  

Niagara Falls

Good morning! 

I am starting to feel so much better, that virus really took it out of me for a lot longer than I had anticipated.  I really thought it would be a day or two thing and my stomach is still sensitive even this morning.  I haven't ran since last Tuesday which threw a wrench in my training plan.  I had to miss my long run last week because I was still feeling off and we left for the Niagara on Friday.  I brought all of my running gear except for a sports bra so that idea went out the window, I let it go and just embraced the time with my family.  

Not exactly a Kodak moment 

We stayed at the Howard Johnson in Niagara Falls and spent all of Saturday exploring the falls.  We bought the Magic Pass which gave us admission to Journey Behind the Falls, Butterfly Conservatory and Niagara's Fury, plus a 2 day pass on the We Go transit system.  I have to say it was really nice to just jump on a bus to go from place to place.  We didn't have to bother with parking, loading in and out of the car and trying to find directions.  Niagara Falls was beautiful, but I was actually surprised it wasn't as majestic as I thought it would be.  I really thought it would be a lot taller, I think if we had a chance to do the Maid of the Mist I might have gotten the whole experience.  

On Sunday we checked out of the hotel and drove to Niagara on the Lake which is a 20 minute drive from Niagara Falls.  A friend of mine mentioned she had loved it there and we had never heard of it.  Let me tell you how bummed out I was when we pulled into this adorable little town!  If you ever go to Niagara Falls I suggest you stay in Niagara by the Lake and just make the drive into Niagara Falls.  We drove down the main street looking for a place to eat and passed the most adorable little Starbucks I have ever seen! 

We had breakfast at the Stagecoach Cafe and Katherine had a big ol'cup of hot chocolate.  

She gets her manners from her mother

After lunch we walked around all of the cute shops and headed down to Lake Ontario to take some awkward family photos.  Jess says he doesn't like Lucy...but his actions speak otherwise ;) 

Even Sandy knows a good photo bomb when she sees it 

Niagara Falls was neat, but the town was a little too carnival for me.  I wouldn't recommend the Magic Pass, I didn't think any of the attractions were all that exciting.  I suggest staying outside of Niagara Falls and exploring Niagara on the Lake, we walked by some of the cutest little Inns and Bed and Breakfasts.  

Have you ever been to Niagara Falls?  

Tell me about your run this weekend, I am jonesing to to get going!

Are you racing this weekend?  

- I have my first of the year on Sunday, so excited!

Running and Rest Days

Hi!  

Today turned into an unscheduled rest day because I am super sore!  I took a TRX class on Sunday morning that was really good and yesterday I ended up doing 2 runs.  I took the TRX class on Sunday because my usual Barre class filled up.  It was my first try at TRX and I ended up liking it a lot.  The class uses these thick straps that you use as support for your own body weight.  At first I thought I wasn't going to be coordinated enough but turned out I could do the different exercises just fine.  Besides having to do some of them modified I was surprised by how much just using your body weight created a lot of work.  I was sore an hour after getting home on Sunday which is always a great testament to how hard you worked.  

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   I have been taking my classes at Core Sport Fitness Studio in Downtown Plymouth and I love their facility.  I've had 3 different instructors and they've all been great for newbies like me and they really make the most of your time there.  They have an entire chalkboard wall that greets you as you walk up the stairs with recipes, new classes and on Sunday they had some great common excuses people use to skip their workouts.  Don't make excuses, they are lame.  

Yesterday (Monday) I started out the day with an easy 4 miles on the treadmill and ended the day with 4.5'ish miles.  I can count on one hand how many times I've ran twice in a day.  A co-worker of Jesse's (and fellow Sherwood runner) was in Plymouth yesterday and wanted to get together for a run.  We left my house about 6:15 pm and he left me in charge of the route...which wasn't the best idea.  Plymouth has sidewalks, but they aren't the greatest especially with the snow and ice.  My watch quit about 1.5 miles into it and I didn't notice for quite some time which was a bummer!  All in all though it was a great run and I am sure the fresh air and company had a lot to do with it, I miss my running buddies.  I decided to rest today and get back to it tomorrow morning, no shame in taking an unscheduled rest day!

In between runs yesterday the girls and I ran a few errands and I picked up a new running shirt from Meijer.  I just don't think you can beat $10 for a new running/workout shirt, plus its pink and I love pink!  Can't wait to break it in tomorrow morning.  

  

This picture is so flattering, I especially love the lightening.

How is everyone's week so far in the workout department?  Other departments?  

How much is too much for running clothes for you?  

- I love Lucy and Lululemon like every blue blooded American girl but I also am on a budget.  I put most of that budget towards my shoes, love my Mizunos.  

Have you ran twice in a day?  Is it pretty common for you or were you in some serious training?