Three Things Thursday.

1. I started running at the gym at lunch and it may be a really bad idea.  Because you see, when I run ... I RUN ... and I sweat and I turn bright red ... and then I have to go back to the office.  The other day our VP of Payroll said "you look hot" ... yeah I was.  BUT, I feel like that is the only way I will get my run in because by the time 5:30 rolls around all I want to do is go home, eat dinner, and then lay around.  Laying around does not equal active.  And, my parents are coming in town today till next week sometime and that means working out will be hard unless I do it at lunch... so sweaty lunchtime runs it is. :o)
2. So after one Blast900 class the instructor was talking about heart rate monitors and seeing how many calories were burned (and we all know, I'm not really burning 900 calories) so my interest was perked.  And then there was a guest blogger on Blast900's blog last week who was talking about how it felt like she was dying but by looking at her HR monitor she knew she could push harder and not die.  I really want a HR monitor - but I don't want to buy one because the Garmin I want has a HR monitor as part of it.  But with that said, I don't want to shell out all that money for a new Garmin.  But then I was at Blast Monday and running on the treadmill Tuesday and my mind kept going to a HR Monitor. I wish I had done more research when I bought my 1st Garmin and I could have gotten on with one, but back then I didn't understand/realize/know how helpful and awesome they could be. I mean I could buy the new one (and I have a REI dividend), sell the old one and put that money to the new one... but what if I cannot sell the old one.

3.  My friend Lydia and I went to spin class together yesterday and it was by far the worst spin class I have ever been too. And Lyd agreed.  We actually left 30 minutes in because it was so bad.  She didn't crank the music up, she had zero energy (very blah) and there was nothing happening that made you want to work and want to be there. so we left. yeah, we're slackers.  BUT we both did 15 minutes on the treadmill prior to spin... so that is 45 minutes of work.  makes up for it right?!

2011 Goals Created.

as well all know from my previous post i did not do so well on my 2010 goals. but no fear - I am not going to be too hard on myself for I will be the first one to stand up and say I (a) let work rule my life (b) chose to be a runner who slept in on weekends and (c) was a slacker.


for 2011 i wanted to set both goals for my running and personal life. and with that statement - here are my goals for the year ahead of me.

RUNNING

goal one. find a work.life.relationship balance with the world of working out and running. 2010 was all about getting the job done and sacrificing runs. 2011 will be about getting the job done but also getting my work out in. how this will happen... tbd.
goal two. blast900. it is pricey but i want to do it at the minimum 2 times per month. it is a killer work out and can do/will do a lot for my stamina and running.
goal three. focus on the little races and increasing speed and stamina. I would like to run a sub30 5k this year and run a 10k in under a hour and a 2 hour half marathon.
goal four. vary the workouts. if that means rejoining a gym, that means rejoining a gym to get in swimming and spin. or just finding the local rec center and seeing what they have to offer.
goal five. run more than 500 miles in 1 year.
goal six. find a running buddy or group to hold me accountable
goal seven. train for big races. fully train. stick to the training schedule.
goal eight. not run a marathon. (you're probably saying WHAT?) but i would like to focus more on finding and making a routine and a balance between life, work, and running so when i do decide to do another one I am 100% committed to all the runs and workouts.


PERSONAL

goal one. floss more. wear my crest white strips more often. i have a wedding that i need REALLY pretty teeth for.
goal two. read more. i'd like to read at least 1 book per month. 12 books per year.
goal three. save more. spend less. 110% stick to my monthly budgets.
goal four. find a house to rent here in atlanta to give my crazy dog a backyard to run in.
goal five. volunteer with an organization. no idea yet. if you have ideas, please send them my way.
goal six. one diet coke per day. all year long. cut back on the sweets. eat healthier.
goal seven. take kyle to an alabama football game. in bryant denny.
goal eight. take 1 bubble bath per week. 4 spa days per year. learn to decompress.

....i hope everyone has a safe and happy 2011!

30Day Personal Revolution

One of my favorite Twitter people is @jesswuv (blog: jess runs) and a little while back she elected to do something called "tr30days" in which she introduce me to this website. It is all about a 30 day personal resolution. And well, 30Day Personal Revolution is exactly what it sounds like -- you spend 30 days doing things to improve your life. You make a bucket list and swear by it for the next 30 days. I thought the idea was wickedly cool and since I like to steal awesome ideas I have stolen it.

What is even cooler is that I mentioned it in passing to my coworkers and all 3 of us are doing this in September. You'll notice that I am cutting sweets out and limiting myself to 1 diet coke per day. The WHOLE cupcake loving office is doing this to hold each other accountable.

So my bucket list for the next 30 days. Starting today. September 1.

:: FIT ::
1. Run 3 days a week (dogless), 1 run with dog, 4 spin classes, and 4 awesome swim sessions.
2. Ab workout - 1 per day before all my evening shows.
3. No sweets. No cookies. No cupcakes. No ice cream. Nothing. this.is.gonna.be.so.hard.i.will.die. *i am a cupcake & cookie lover*
4. Only 1 diet coke per day.

:: SHARE/CARE::
1. Take the 4 bags of clothes to Goodwill that have been sitting in my closet.
2. Finally get involved with Girls on the Run here in Atlanta

:: PERSONAL ::
1. Read at least 1 chapter per night before going to bed.
2. Go back to having 4 date nights with Kyle J per month. me.him.me.him
3. Take a Saturday afternoon to get a good (but cheap) massage - my body needs it
4. Put at least $400 in savings to use towards the wedding, my next car, or the future move back to DC. Just save it.

do i run? doesn't seem like it.

This month thus far has been an epic fail when it comes to my feet hitting the pavement. I have not run since the peachtree which was July the 4th. Yes, I have a half marathon in September and a full in October. This month has been packed full of exciting events and is not yet over. Granted, celebrating an engagement is reason enough to not lace up, but I was also a bridesmaid in a good friend's wedding and coming up my month is full of housewarming parties and a baby's 1st birthday party.

I know, I know. I need to make time for running and tomorrow I will start making time for it... promise. And I will also find myself in spin class. I am thinking about starting to run to the office on Fridays... that's 6 miles right there.... and Friday's are casual days and I can shower in the gym at the office.

oh.oh.oh. i did get dressed to go run today and then noticed it was pouring down rain. booo....

hey it’s friday! that means there is a sock winner!

it has been a hella long week. i woke up thursday and asked myself “why is your alarm going off it’s saturday” and then my mind said “no not saturday, it’s friday” … in the shower i realized it was thursday. image my disappointment. doh.  but, today is FRIDAY!

not too much going on in my world (killer spin class tuesday killed me, literally) and i was supposed to experience my first ever hot yoga today, but due to a bogusly busy day i couldn’t pry myself from the office – but i went for a 3.49 mile run instead.  ANYWAY. i promised a pair of my favorite socks to anyone that was interested and i am true to my word so the winner is number 5 who is Paige from two runners and a brown dog!  Yay Paige and your brown dog!!!! :o) 

Paige! send me your shoe size and address to barbara.a.vines@gmail.com and I will get those bad boys out to you ASAP.

also – if you’re a compression sock fan if you go to www.recoverysock.com and utilize coupon code “JHClient” you will get 15% off your purchase.  Just a little FYI!

Sorry I have been such a crappy blogger there just hasn’t been too much going on in my life other than work, run, walk the dog, sleep, play with the dog, more work, swim, and spin,

Happy weekend everyone.

Friday Favorite - Words To Sweat By

A lot of blogs lately have been talking about these cute little towels created by Words to Sweat By for their in the gym workouts. They are created to make you giggle, motivate you, or motivate you while you're giggling. After trying and trying to win one in a blog giveaway and never doing so, I decided to pull the trigger, spend $8.00, and buy one. Afterall, I have been needing a towel for spin class since my dog has shredded all the little towels and no I am not brining a big towel to the gym like a fool. I know, I know... how can a towel be a favorite thing... but if you have ever done spin class you know how key a towel can be and what I like most about these towels are that they are cute, funny, and motivating (the price tag isn't too bad either). Not only are these towels great for spin class, but they're perfect for sessions on the elliptical & treadmill - not only to wipe your brow but to also cover up the timer so you aren't tempted to keep looking down. I love how the towels are actually soft (100% cotton), hold up well in the wash, and are shipped insanely fast. *after some investigative research I learned that all the towels are prewashed to ensure they do not shrink and I am guessing that is why they're already soft.* They also are great conversation starters but what I love most is that they're just unique and fun.

I of course bought the pink one that talks about cupcakes because I love pink and well am obsessed with anything cupcake and honestly, I have been quite happy. Sure, any towel would work fine... but why not have a fun, funky towel to make you WANT to go to the gym?!

Also! One of my fellow Team in Training people (who I have never met but her and I motivate each other via social media) is hosting a fundraiser with Words to Sweat By. SO! If you're interested in purchasing one of these snazzy towels, a portion of the profits will go towards Courtney's fundraising efforts to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Between May 15 and June 15 30% of each towel & 25% of each keychain will be donated back to her. All you have to do is enter the code "runcourtrun"

Proposed Marine Corp Marathon Training Plan.

I need a schedule to keep to.  I have my planned out schedule on miles and long runs but I think I need to keep to a schedule for everything.  Organized, I think so.

If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to throw them out.

On top of all this, I want to really do the 200 sit up program.  I need to build my core. 

Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.
Long Run 200 situps	Planned miles - Run	1 hour Spin Class + 2 mile run 200 situps	Rest Day 200 situps	Speed Work & 30 minutes elliptical 200 situps	Planned miles- Run	30 minute swim 200 situps

I do not want to throw in any 5ks or 10ks unless I think they will be super beneficial to my training… like notoriously hilly or a known hard course. I do want to plan for a half marathon before Marine Corps and I am thinking the Nashville Women’s Half.

I knocked out my 2nd swim and it is getting easier!  wahoo!! Hope everyone had a good weekend!!

First Swim.

I survived my first swim since I was like in high school not that I was actually scared that I would drown, but I knew it would be a challenge.  I had heard that swimming is great for runners – easier on the joints, helps build endurance, blah blah blah so I thought what the heck and gave it a whirl.  Honestly, it wasn’t bad – hard – but not bad.  I think I shall make it my Saturday workout and every week shoot for more laps than the week before.  …you know make me work harder and get better… kinda like running.

I will have to say that I feel there should be some unspoken rule that you do not speak to others in the gym pool.  There I was in my one piece bathing suit like a 4th grader who’s parents won’t let her wear a 2 piece just yet and my bright purple goggles chugging alone, trying not to sink or swallow water and there was two different fellas who wanted to chat it up.  I wanted to swim, they wanted to learn about Barbie, I wanted to tell them to shut up but I am too nice and talked back … which killed my workout because I wanted to swim for 30 minutes and get in 30 laps (1 lap = down & back).  Well I hit the 30 minute mark and had only done 16 laps.  no biggie… but next time I hope the chitter chatter does not happen.  OR I could just save my pennies and invest in a H2Audio (if i really make swimming a weekly thing).

If you swim … has it benefited you?!

In other news, Kyle & I are on a pretty set schedule when it comes to work outs.  He goes to the gym Monday & Friday, I go Tuesday & Thursday.  He asked me to flip flop Thursday & Friday so I would go on Friday instead.  Being the nice person I am, I agreed and I am actually pretty excited because I have been wanting to give this Bootcamp class a try and it is only on Fridays.  So, now I will have Tuesday Spin & Friday bootcamp with runs during work hours on Mondays & Wednesdays.  I also think I am going to take my dog on “mini runs” instead of walks because it will use up more energy, I will get more miles in, and I really do want to make my pup pup a running buddy. …I will report back on how that works out.

That is all.

The gym.

I have this love hate relationship with the gym. Some days I hate it and want to cancel my membership, other days I think to myself that I have a REALLY good set up since I pay close to nothing and the gym is a great resource for rainy days. I just hate that there are things I want to do at the gym that I can't or that I have to wait for and I feel like if I am paying for something I should be able to use it.

Take spin class. The 5:30 class fills up at 4:45. I do not even get out of the office till 5 and then to get to the gym and through the doors it is like 5:15. If I want to cycle my butt off to loud pumping music, I should be able to. I know they're popular as hell but really? How can they be THAT popular.

Swimming. The pool has water aerobics most night at 5:30 so I cannot swim and them other night you're sharing a lap lane with one to two other people. Talk about a cluster of chaos. There are legs and arms flailing every where... someone is going to lose an eye. (Or is that what goggles are REALLY for?)

And please for the love of God do not get me started on treadmills and ellipticals. A wait is like a given. And then there is a 30 minute time limit. Oh great, I can barely run 3 miles... that helps my training SO much. And it goes back to the fact that I am paying to use that dreadmill and it I want to run for 60 minutes not 30 I should be able to.

Sure, yes, I do go to the gym right after work. But I know that if I go home, make dinner, get settled on that wonderful couch of mine it is a lost cause. I have to knock it out right after work or it just is not happening. I do go at the peak time, but still. It is 100% absurd. It is always going to be love hate, love hate, till I finally break and cancel. I just know it.

...cross training...why?

Everyone knows that I have a love hate relationship with cross training. I have no problem lacing up my shoes and hitting the pavement, but when my run schedule says "Rest/XT" ... I like to chose the rest option and watch reruns of the Jersey Shore on MTV or Frank the Entertainer's Basement of Love on VH1. When training for both Nike & Disney I did very very very little training other than running. Now that I am training for ING in March I decided to incorporate cross training and see how it helps me on race day and in general. ...I call this more of an experiment than anything...

First things first. What is cross training? Mr. Hal Higdon explains it as: It is any other form of aerobic activity that allows you to use slightly different muscles while resting (usually) after your long run. He says the best cross training activities are swimming, walking, and cycling. He also says to combine two different cross training activities (example: swimming and cycling)

My research began on both Twitter (follow me: @bamabarbie06) as well as googling the obvious "cross training" ... "cross training for running" ... "cross training marathon" ... etc ...

I stumbled across this marathon training page and they had a whole section on cross training that was literally screaming "barbie! read me!" According to them cross training is good because it (1) prevents burn out (2) can serve as an injury prevention measure (3) increases upper body strength *which helps as you go UP hills* .... types of good cross training are: (1) cycling and spin (2) swimming (3) indoor rowing (4) elliptical trainer (5) stair climbers.
Runners World also had an article back in '06 that explained the 4 keys to cross training... which made a lot of sense. What I thought was the most interesting was that you should pick workouts that are closest in terms of running such as water running, spinning, elliptical, and ski machines.
Cool Running (Twitter: @coolrunning) had a "mix it up" article and they hit the nose on the head. I want to incorporate cross training to improve my running, increase my speed, and build my endurance. They mentioned that for runners who want to improve all that fun stuff the best activities are: biking, weigh training, soccer, water running, stair climbing, aerobic dance, walking, and swimming.
And lastly, Livestrong gives us cross training newbies 5 things that we need to know... and they also really answered my question about WHY?! Long story short: Cross training gives runners an alternative way to strengthen and prepare the body.

...what I did read from every site was to not over due it. ...so does that mean I should have more than 1 official rest day. Or is it okay to have just 1 and make that the day before my long run?!

Twitter has a HUGE running community. After running Disney I realized that I really do have an amazingly awesome running twitter family. They are more than supportive and informative and have been instrumental in my running. So I though they would be a great resource. I presented them with the question "In your opinion, what's the point of cross training and what is your favorite cross training activity".

..here is what I gathered & it supported my Internet research..

@sketch678 - I think it's to strengthen some of your support muscles. His fave: Spin Class & Indoor Rowing.
@TCRunner288 - Cross Training prevents overuse injuries and keeps me mentally fresh for runs.
@bonniegartley - she does yoga (for strength training) or the stationary bike.
@rwrodgers - I think the point is variety maybe? He does yoga.

So. The purpose? ...I guess I have gathered that it is there to supplement your running. It helps strengthen other muscles in your body which will ultimately help prevent injuries. Not put you in a bubble so you will never get hurts, but it will help prevent injuries. It also helps you not get burnt out... switching it up gives you variety so you don't get tired of the pavement all the time. It also helps build muscles that help you on race day. Like, who would have thought that upper body strength helps on the up and up of hills. Also, other cardiovascular activities help build your endurance which will keep you moving towards the finish on race day. And that's the point right?

....needless to say, I think my plan of spin classes, elliptical workouts, and swimming are going to be effective. There have been a few classes at LA Fitness that I have been wanting to add into my training (especially since I do my runs mid day) that I may give a whirl. Anything to help build endurance and better my race day potential. What I wasn't thrilled to read came from The Kenyan Way - Pilates evidently will greatly improve your performance. If only it wasn't so boring... but if it helps maybe I will go every other Sunday... maybe.

Now lets just hope my poor muscles can make it through this week! :o)

Happy Running all! Have a great week!!