we survived another week {victory}

 

this week was not bad. i cannot complain. i am without a doubt counting down the days till i board a plan and leave my life for 4 short days and go to the beach. but my life lately has been good.

i started running again and made myself a plan. this week, every day that i hit the gym or the path my by house I am running 2 miles. just 2 miles to get my legs back to it. from there i will up to 2.5 or 3 miles {still undecided} and will focus on my sub-30 5k goal. at this point, I am not running for the medals, i am running for me.

Oh my gosh. Total Win for me. Sunday, I went to my typical 10:45 AM Flywheel class {come ride with me!! it is amazing!!} and one of the local Lululemon girls was there too with 5 goodie bags. Well, I got lucky and got one of those goodie bags and got a FREE lululemon tank top {retail: $52}. But of course, it now ranks HIGH on my favorite running top list and i need/want more.

sadly, my headaches are back and they have brought an eye twitch/spasm with them. and my body just CANNOT handle muscle relaxers {i could never be a pill popping druggie}. which means i will be having a CT scan to make sure there is not any weird brain issues going on. honest moment: the whole thing is kind of annoying. i have re-worked and re-managed my work/life balance stress and i have been feeling good. so why are the headaches back?!

Kyle’s Mom and Step Dad are coming in town this weekend. Who knows what is on the agenda, but we will keep and stay busy. I am hoping they are not coming to lecture me about how I stole their baby away and made him move to Georgia with me and then REALLY stole him away since we’re going to buy a house. {the plan had always been to move home to VA}

Sunday I am excited because I am heading to the shooting range with my friend Afton and co-worker Fred to shoot some guns. Not really sure how it will go and if I will enjoy it, but it is on my 30 before 30 list and it seems like an experience. honest moment: i am a little nervous. and yes. there will be a blog post.

Kyle J and I still have not started the home buying process. We have decided that we’re going the 1st weekend in November to get pre-approved and will start the hunt from there. But, leave it to me to find my legit real dream home. {The other one I posted... had an offer on it 2 days later. Y’all better not have stolen it}

Keep your fingers crossed on this one – it is a potential short sale, still not approved by the bank which means it could 100% work in our favor and timeline or 100% not work in our favor and timeline. But for real. I could live her and be happy about it.

But I think that was my week. Uneventful. Not bad. 100% manageable. Just the way I like them! :)

Have a very happy weekend and BEAT TENNESSEE – ROLL TIDE!! :)

30 day challenge. week one.

so I started my 30 day challenge this week and I had this whole entry planned out to tell you all about my little victories and everything amazing I did this week.  and then my week happened and let’s talk about how good I did not do.  I don’t want to say I did bad, because I didn’t do BAD but it really was a horrible attempt at greatness.

monday. I started with a vengeance. I went to blast900 that night – atlanta traffic was so bad the teacher was 15 minutes late but I stuck around because it was day 1 and I had to do it. and I did it and it was hard. but 100% well worth it. the class only had like 8 people in it (normally there is 25 but I think since it was dunwoody over buckhead that mattered) so we all got a little extra “loving” attention from richard.  I normally slack on the sprints – but he wouldn’t let me so it gave me the much needed confidence to do them well every time going forward.

tuesday I was still going strong. I pushed through a 1.74 mile hilly run that was awful because I hurt from blast and because it was hot and humid. (hello atlanta summers). I wanted to quit around mile 1 but I made myself turn right instead of going left and going home. my neighborhood is really hilly.

wednesday I planned to hit spin class, but my legs hurt so I bailed. and then I just crawled in bed for amazingly bad tv. thursday… I planned to go to the gym. but I didn’t. and once I again I did nothing.

friday we did walk the dog for 20 minutes in the rain. saturday, I walked the dog as well – I slacked. I woke up accidently at 6:30 am when it was 65* and should have gotten out of bed and RAN but I watched Gilmore Girls instead.  but sunday I wouldn’t let myself be a total slacker and I hit the gym for a 30 minute swim.  annnnnd I gave mulligan his 30 minute walk.

I also did HORRIBLE on the no sweets … well horrible is dramatic I had some and I also had 1 glass of wine at a work function on thursday.  Oi.  I guess things in moderation is better than gorging myself.

next week will be better – and I am starting off with blast900 again.  I think it is all about figuring the week out and working out around what muscles I worked the day before … however I need to run more than not run since I signed up for the atlanta 13.1 race in october since I liked it so much last year.  on saturday morning I have my free fitness evaluation & personal trainer consultation/workout so I know for a fact he will kill me.  oh well…. onto another week! =)

weekly round up.

i survived another week. i hope you did too.

monday: 2.03 mile run.  it was supposed to be 2 miles but what can i say, i am an over achiever.  started training for Rock and Roll Savannah and welcomed the hot summer sun in all in the same day.
tuesday: lazy.
wednesday: lazy.
thursday: lazy.
friday: pure barre at lunch with the office girls.  and taking a week off from that place is not a good idea. just a heads up.
saturday: brookhaven bolt 5k. race recap to come soon. 3.1 miles.  AND I took Mulls on his 30 minute walk! :o)
sunday: 30 minute walk with the dog.

i did figure out (per my garmin) that each 30 minute walk is about 1.5 miles.

total miles ran this week:  5.13  ...now, if i could get to working out more consistently that would be awesome.

random work out thoughts:

• man. nike frees are not good running shoes for me. my legs hurt.
• hello hot summer sun in atlanta.
• must actually follow my training plan to savannah.
• pure barre sucks if you don't go at least 1 time per week
• i actually am not dying (while running the 5k)

another week.

and this week i did.......

monday: missed my workout. was talking to one of my favorite people and my maid of honor about her 1st day at her new job!! yay for E!
tueday: mile monday a day late, but completed.. 1 mile. pace: 12:10 .... still kinda sore from boot camp which may explain why i was SLOWER than last week. humph
wednesday: pure barre was missed due to work and life.  BUT I made Kyle walk the dog with me for some quality "family time" before the storms rolled in. probably a 15-20 minute walk.
thursday: i did nothing.
friday: planned to do pure barre during lunch. missed it due to a meeting & work over load due to a training class next week. 
saturday:  .....30 minute dog walk.
sunday: pure barre.  the very last day of my unlimited month. so sad but it was so hot and so unfun. .....30 minute dog walk


total miles ran.... 1.00 mile.  SO LAZY! *wasnt the idea of this post to ahem make me work out so i did not have to report back that I was lazy lazy?!*

random thoughts:

• i love pure barre, but i am kind of glad my unlimited month is up.  i feel myself getting stronger, but i cannot rely only on that to get back in shape and to build my stamina and endurance.  i need some active movement in my life. i do love their core work though.
• i was in amazing shape when i was swimming once a week. i need to swim again.
• lululemon has horrible running clothes. thou shall not waste my money there again.
• i love race season. i love seeing everyone's crazy awesome accomplishments and hearing about people's marathons and 5ks.  Heck, I can live viacariously though people!!

weekly wrapup.

just another week trying to get back to being active and in wedding dress shape.  but on monday i was told that i was looking skinny. skinny = good.

monday:  1 mile. pace: 11:47. I am starting what I like to call "mile monday" where i kick start my week with a little run around the oh so hilly neighborhood.  I am making myself run every hill and each week I am going to make myself run longer (ex: past the mailbox i stopped at).  and when 1 mile is too easy we will lose the alliteration and make it a longer distance.
tuesday: pure barre with afton and lyd! and this time, it was a freaking work out out.  i don't know if it was monday's run or what - but my legs could not do the thigh work to save my life.
wednesday: just a little casual walk with kyle j and the dog around the neighborhood. the sun had not sunk yet and the weather was gorgeous. just had to walk with my two loves!
thursday: nothing.
friday: nothing. planned pure barre at 4:15 but afton's boss didn't let her off early like mine did.
saturday: goodness me. mitzi's $10 boot camp. that child is lucky i love her and will suffer for her in the name of a good cause. the warm-up was more like a work out, running hills, squats, push ups.  Then the actual work out was ALL sprints. Sprints then 10 push ups, sprint then 9 push ups sprint then 8 ... and you get the point. But we did sprints with push up and butt lift things and sit ups and then burpees (but i slacked and did jumping jacks)  ... my garmin was dead so i couldn't track the miles. but seriously, it is a GOOD work out so if you're in Atlanta, we have 1 more next weekend at Piedmont Park and you should come.   plus mully got a 30 minute hilly hot walk.
sunday: planned pure barre but it was closed for easter. then i planned to run, but my legs could not move because of bootcamp. but i walked mully for 30 minutes.

total miles run: 1 mile + whatever I ran at bootcamp, which was at least a mile, maybe even more! ...and it is an improvement from last week. but then again, anything is!

random thoughts:

• i know i am not supposed to like chris brown since he beats women, but T-Pain's song "Best Love Song" with him on it is amazing to run to.
• I think I may adore running skirts - but I hate the lululemon one, I like my brooks one.
• My matron of honor is burning Kyle and me P90X ... but what are we getting ourselves into?!
• bootcamp is REALLY painful.  How do people do this 3 days a week and not want to kill themselves?
• i just may run a 5k this upcoming saturday... just to see how out of shape i am.

Weekly Work Out Round Up (vol. 2)

and. how did this week go? cliff notes version: still a little lazy.


monday: nothing. nada. lazy.
tuesday: lazy. nothing again. thought about it, but then went for mexican to gain weight rather than lose it.
wednesday: pure barre. 55 minutes. still sore from boot camp it seemed. but the core work is getting easier which means, i am building a core. now, if the extra skin on my stomach would go away.
thursday: nothing. (oi this is getting embarrassing)
friday: i was gonna run, but i didn't get home in time to miss the rain. but rejoined LA Fitness.
saturday: run in the neighborhood. only .98 miles - my allergies or something made it hard. but i think this will be my "monday mile" run, if i can find .02 to add. i skipped mitzi's boot camp, but i will go back next week.  ohhhh and i did a 30 minute dog walk with the dog.
sunday: pure barre with afton and lyd again. =)  and another 30 minute dog walk with the pup.


miles ran this week: .98 -- pa-thet-ic.
                                                                                                                          

And in other news... As you know I have dropped out of Ragnar. And really, I am okay with it. My heart wasn't in it, nor was I athletically in shape for it. With that.... the team is on the hunt to fill up a few legs and I am going to *at least* try and help! 

In Van 1:

Runner 2: Leg 2 (4.5miles), Leg 14 (4.5miles), Leg 26 (6.8miles): 15.8 miles
Runner 5: Leg 5 (6.3miles), Leg 17 (3.2miles), Leg 29 (2.9miles): 12.4 miles

In Van 2:
Runner 7: Leg 7 (4.7miles), Leg 19 (3.7miles), Leg 31 (4.9miles): 13.3 miles
Runner 11: Leg 11 (5.5miles), Leg 23 (4miles), Leg 35 (8.3miles): 17.8 miles

Please keep a couple things in mind:

• You'll probably need to take Thursday June 9th off of work for travel to Wisconsin and definitely Friday June 10th since the race starts that morning.
• Registration: $90
• Hotel room in Madison, WI Thursday night before the race: $35
• Van rental: $35
• Gas for Van: $??
• Food: ??
• If you are coming from out of state, airfare: $200++

Now if you're interested and this sounds doable for you, please e-mail Courtney ASAP at wannaberunnergirl@gmail.com

weekly workout (episode 1)

weekly workout recap round one.

monday: nothing. meant to. but had to run to the grocery store and then the storms rolled in.
tuesday: nothing.
wednesday:  55 minute pure barre. core. butt. legs. arms. death. followed by the foam roller
thursday: nothing. drinks with coworkers since we're the company of the month at wildfire!
friday: nothing
saturday: 10:45 AM - Piedmont Park $10 fundraising boot camp. goodnight we were worked.out. lots of core work, arm work, sprints. *be there next weekend, super big thanks to tiffy t. who joined me and helped us raise money for mitzi*    .... and 30 minute dog walk around the hilly neighborhood.
sunday: i was supposed to go to pure barre, but didn't. my body hurts from yesterday's boot camp.    but i did do another 30 minute dog walk with the pup.

total miles ran: 1.27. nothing impressive. i must run more next week.

Three Things Thursday.

thursday.thursday.thursday.thursday. 1 more day till friday.
1. Each Sunday plan to now see what I want to call my weekly wrap up where I will document my physical activity for each week. Some may find it boring, others I don't know.  But I think if I KNOW I have to report back I may be a little more active.  And I feel like my running blog has become more of a life blog (which is fine), but I think it is time to refocus and get back to the basics.  *hopefully* I will have more race recaps for you, product reviews, etc... in the future.
2. Do you know what I find really cool.  The stats section of blogger.  I feel I may have addressed this before, but obviously I like it so much I am talking about it again.  Not only and I being introduced to more and more awesome running blogs (like I need more to read / not read and have to play catch up on) but I find it cool to see how people are linked to my posts and blog and what not.  It appears that "thirteen minute mile" is googled a lot and I seem to pop up.  And my race reviews seem to be pop up in google searches too.  Please potential runners, take my reviews lightly... I am a picky person.
3.  I have been doing a lot of pure barre lately.  it is a killer workout and i can for sure see how it can/does change someones body if they do it enough but goodness it hurts. however, i do not think it will really change my body (for some odd reason) but what i am wondering is if it will effect and improve my running.  i had to pull out my foam roller yesterday to work my legs and was painfully reminded how much the foam roller hurts.  oi.


......and shameless plug time.  If you're in Atlanta. I hope to see you at bootcamp this Saturday! $10, 10:45 Piedmont Park. Be there.