Oh Lulu, I Love You!

Good morning!  

I put 10 miles under my belt yesterday and they were amazing.  I was finally able to run with Katie and I never have a bad run with her.  We met up with Coach Jim's running group in Tualatin and headed out with the 11 minute pacers for our 10 miles.  Our pace leader printed off some Boston Tribute bibs for people so Katie and I both snagged one to wear.  

The group had a really great turn out!

If you are not currently running with a running group I highly suggest Coach Jim's group.  Currently there won't be any "official" runs again till November, but I know some of us will be getting together for sure.  If you are from the Portland area you can find Coach Jim on Facebook for more information.  It really is an amazingly supportive group, don't be afraid to just show up.  He has pace leaders for every level and nobody is ever left behind and the plus side, it is FREE!  If you are not from Portland I would be shocked if you didn't have a running group around you.  If you do end up shocking me then put one together yourself, you have nothing to lose!

After our run we did a little shopping and took the plunge, we made our first Lulu purchase!  I call Lululemon  Lulu because I feel like an idiot trying to say it the proper way.  Since we were part of Coach Jim's running group we were able to snag 15% off of our purchase, sweet!  So you see we had no choice we had to buy the running skirts.  

I have had it less than 24 hours and it is already a crumpled mess, this is my life.    

On the way home I bought some fabric to make a new spring/summer'ish table runner, we'll see how it turns out.  It is the yellow striped fabric in the background of my picture.  The sewing machine is not my friend and I tend to stitch at an angle.  Needless to say I bought a lot of extra fabric!  

Have I shared with you all just how happy I am to be home?  Because I am!  Waiting to see if the sun actually pops out today like I was promised, looking forward to my recovery run!  

What are you up to this weekend?  

Did you have a long run in the books?  

What is your next race/event you are most looking forward to? 

- I have the Rock and Roll Half in less than a month and I am over the moon 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.  

{Instagram Pic}

   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?