Orange Theory Fitness

Today I went to this new place called orange theory fitness. I have been trying out new places to cross train while I work on my running. This past week I have been a bit dead since I did this kettle bell workout that killed me, I didn't do much unfortunately. So back to this new workout place.

It was super easy to sign up, just gave them a call and they asked for my height and weight and told me to come in 15min before class to get a quick explanation on how the class works. There are rowing machines, treadmills, and free weights. They put a heart rate monitor on you so that it is monitored on a big tv with everyone's names.

This was neat because you can see in what zone you are while you work out. So I started out on the treadmills, we basically did intervals of inclines and speed. I stayed in the green/ orange zone for a good portion of this which is good. I was on the treadmills for about 28min and a total of 2.6 miles. I was pretty tired but the short breaks for walks helped a lot. 

Then we moved onto the rowing/ free weight training. I was pretty awful at this... the trainer is on a microphone yelling out instructions and the music was loud so I was a bit distracted. The rowing was just not happening for me because my arms were so sore. 

Then there was the suspension strings you see in the pic, we did some lunges while pulling on these babies and wow did I feel it. Overall I really liked this place and they offer a free week of sessions. At the end you get to see how many minutes you were in each zone and how many calories you burned; I got 380. I felt good and not as sore as with other workouts which is a good thing. If you happen to have one of these by you I strongly recommend it :) 

xoxo,

Me

Monday Motivation

Got the Monday blues?? here are some of my favorite pins this month for a little extra motivation to get you up and going!

Sometimes I feel like I am so much slower than the other runners out there but hey.. I am only racing against myself and at least I am out there so just have to keep remembering that!

When I am out there running it takes all the blah parts of the day out and nothing feels better than some endorphins :)

This is so true considering I have 3 Disney races paid and ready go!!! just keep running.. just keep running.

And with that said .. let's get it done! 

xoxo,

Me

Reads to inspire

Hello! I wanted to share two of my recent reads that have inspired me. First up is "the non-runner's marathon guide for women"... This book is told in the perspective of Dawn which is basically a couch potato.

I really enjoyed this book because it was so relatable for me. I am going through a lot of the same emotions and problems as her and it helped me to see I wasn't alone. Besides the book being informative about marathons and the training, it is very funny. Dawn is not a runner and simply hates doing it but has dedicated this marathon to her grandfather so she is determined. Her point of view is hilarious and I really recommend this book to anyone who needs a little pick me up during their training.

My next read is "Chicken soup for the runner's soul".

This book is full of short stories from real people about running, swimming, and triathlons. I love reading about other people's experiences because it helps me understand mine a little better. When I read these stories about amputee women than have completed an ironman it is truly inspiring. It makes me want to get out there and go all out, put different races on my calendar and more bling for my wall! I hope you get a chance to read these, they really are amazing books and a good way to stay motivated through tough training.

xoxo,

Me

ABC's of Me

I decided to jump on the bandwagon of Abc's and do my own post about it. I kept it simple so here ya go:


A. Attached or single? Attached :) 

B. Best Friend? My fabulous mom ... I tell her everything

C. Cake or Pie? flourless chocolate cake with powdered sugar yum yum

D. Day of the Week? Sunday! I do all my errands including my long runs on sundays 

E. Essential Item? phone, not sure what I would do without it

F. Favorite Color? Red the color of love <3

G. Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Sour gummie worms

H. Hometown? Miami, fl where the sun always shines

I. Favorite Indulgence? Malted milk shakes from swensen's

J. January or July? July because of all the yummy BBQs!

K. Kids? Just my puppy calvin for now

L. Life isn't complete without? someone you love

M. Marriage Date? N/A

N. Number of brothers/sisters. Just one...my genius little brother

O. Oranges or apples? Oranges in the form of a mimosa :)

P. Phobias? spiders, roaches or any insect for that matter, they give me the creeps

Q. Favorite quote? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!

R. Reason to smile? Because I am grateful for my amazing life

S. Season of Choice? Winter.. holidays galore and of course my birthday

T. Time you wake up? An early bird since I go to bed so early

U. Unknown fact about me? I love to cook up italian goodies

V. Favorite vegetable? Corn on the cob

W. Worst habit? Picking off my nail polish once it starts to chip

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? X-Ray i guess ?? 

Y. Your favorite food? Pizza pizza pizza, all day everyday

Z. Zodiac Sign? Virgo

Greetings from Costa Rica

So this past week I was in Costa Rica!!! A much needed vacation from the madness in Miami.. the thing I was looking forward to the most was these monkeys that are supposed to be everywhere. My mission.. to feed them!

I won't bore you with stories since all we really did for the first couple days was lay around by the pool and relax. The most exciting part was seeing the monkeys.. They were everywhere after we left a banana on the porch.

(I ran out of the shower when I heard they showed up, hence the outfit)

We had an amazing view from our house, it was like a little slice of heaven. I could spend all day in that pool, and there was so much wildlife all around us which kept it entertaining.

One of the days we went zip lining, I have done it in the past but this was even better. When we were checking in they had a bunch of framed pics of celebrities that had done it there in the past. And hey, if it's good enough for the kardashians its good enough for me!

The only bad part was having to go up the mountains and at some point I got really exhausted...

                                                ( Not very athletic looking am I hahah)

The monkeys came back the next morning which made me extremely happy. I don't think anyone on that trip had a banana since I was keeping them hostage for the monkeys!

And he was looking for me once I went in ....

( Amazing how humanlike they are right??? )

Well those are some of my fave pictures from the trip... till next time. Oh I forgot to add in the most relaxing part: My first trip to a real spa. Hot stone massage for 90min... delicious :) a perfect end to a great vacation.

xoxo,
Me

Runner's high

So there is this thing that runners talk about... The elusive runner's high. It's a state of euphoria one experience on long runs. I think I might have experienced it the other day on my six mile run. The run went perfectly and I must say those gu chomps are really helpful. I get this great kick of energy right when I need it thanks to these gummies. I finish in a great state and don't feel exhausted. Maybe this had something to do with the runners high I think I was having.

I was on this cloud by mile 5 that I don't think anyone could've brought me down from! So I figured I'm either delusional or this is it... the runners high. I was smiling, keeping up pace and surprisingly not dying.

Now that I am upping my mileage I think I am starting to experience it. i really have felt so accomplished and I'm getting addicted to the feeling of satisfaction I get once i complete a run. I go back home so happy and I finally think I found something that makes me feel my best!

Now that I know runners high is real, at least to me, I will continue to try and reach that place of happy.

xoxo,

Me

Camelbak Aurora review

Meet my new favorite piece of gear... the camelbak aurora.

When I was researching the best hydration pack for women I barely found any reviews about the ones I was interested in. Which leads me to my review, so I could help anyone thinking of getting one of these fab packs.I purchased my camelbak on sunnysports.com for a really good price. I was looking for something that could carry my phone, gels, gummies, and had extra pockets for any other items I wanted to bring.

 The aurora has two pockets on the back and 2 stretch pockets on the sides which expand. I am able to hold all my things comfortably and I put my phone in the back pocket so I don't have to bring the armband. The less gear I have on me the better!

The stretch pockets in the sides are perfect for carrying a light weight jacket or extra layer of clothes once you start to get warm.

This pack holds 2 liters of water and is pretty light weight. I wore it the other day for a 5 mile run and it was great. My back didn't get sweaty and the pack barely bounced around. I know some people complain about the sloshing sound but since I wear headphones that was a non issue :)

This is my first pack so I am a little biased but honestly I am in love with it. The size is small so it fits just right on my back, the strap in the front keeps the pack from moving around. So if you are in the market for one of these babies ...go for it! they are awesome & I will be using it in all my upcoming races :)

xoxo,

Me

Joint care for my nobby knees!

Knee pain is one of the most annoying things I have dealt with in my current training. It is this ache which is consistent while I run and after. So I have been desperately trying to find a cure for it which led me to osteo-biflex, this is a huge pill which is for joint health. Let's just say this was a horrible experience. This enormous pill got stuck in my chest (actually it just scratched my esophagus according to my doctor) and I had pain for about 3 days!

So I heard that the same company makes gummies... I went off to find them and to my surprise they were so expensive. $35 for a 60 ct. bottle. So I found this juice that contains the magical ingredient glucosamine. I have been reading non stop about what can make my pain feel better and this is the ingredient that I was looking for. Apparently I don't have that much cartilage in my knee and that is what is causing my pain.

I have been drinking these juices for about a week and they taste pretty good and I really hope they work. I haven't been taking them long enough to tell just yet. I will keep you posted :) anything is worth at least a try!

xoxo,
Me

5 miles and counting

Woohoo!!!! I just ran 5 miles ... which I have never done, consecutively anyways. I am so proud of myself, I bested my 5k time and did my fastest mile to date 10:24" This might be due to the fabulous song I downloaded before going out... "radioactive" by imagine dragons.

I took my camelbak aurora out for the first time also to see how I liked it. My verdict... amazing! I loved it, so glad I found it. It has so many pockets and holds 2L of water. I didn't even remember it was on my back, I didn't get sweaty or anything :)

It was so much better than running with a handheld water bottle. I even put my phone in it so I didn't have to wear the armband! I will do a more detailed review of it this week so you can see how awesome it is.

During my run I ate my chomps and drank about half a liter of water and felt good. I got the blast of energy kick in around mile 3, I started dying out around 4 ( it was really hot out). I was glad to be done so I could try out my gu brew recovery mix and be in some air conditioning.

I bought the strawberry watermelon flavor, on the package it says to drink it right after training...so I did. It was really refreshing and easy to make. The flavor was light and not overwhelming, great for after my long runs. Till next time...

xoxo,
Me

Tower of Terror training update

Well I survived my first long run! 4 miles in 50min, averaging 13min miles :)  I was mighty exhausted by the time I came home but felt very productive. I didn't have such a great night because I am dog sitting and he kept waking me up all night. We went for a morning walk around 8am and then I ate some yummy Justins on toast to fuel my run.

I gave running in the morning another shot, this time I ran a different route that was mostly shaded. I must say I still enjoy running at night better but it wasn't as hot as the other time. I took my new nathan handheld water bottle with me. It wasn't all that great just because my hand got really sweaty and my gatorade got warm. On the upside it did stay in place and it has a pocket for my gu chomps.

I will give it another try on my short runs to see how it goes.

xoxo,

me

GU chomps review

I have heard so many different opinions on GU that I kinda got a little scared to try them. So for starters I am trying the GU chomps. These are gummy versions of the gels.

My first pack is the watermelon flavor... yum is the thought that comes to mind. These were absolutely delicious, great consistency and amazing flavor. They tasted like a jolly rancher mixed with a gummy bear, and they're good for me????? SOLD!

The baggie comes with 2 servings, so it will last on a long run. It is pretty big so it might not fit in your armband, but it will fit in a waist pack. I really enjoyed these and recommend them for those of you that are timid to try the gels :)

xoxo,
Me

Race kred

I wanted to share this really neat thing I found the other day while I was online. Race kred! These are charms for your laces, they say the different types of races you have completed.

I plan to fill my laces up with all of my accomplishments so when I'm feeling like giving up all I need to do is look down and get some inspiration! I want to fill up my laces with all of my races ( going all dr. seuss on you).
My first charm is from the Everest challenge I was in this past may in disney. 

You can get your own at race-kred.com .. Happy racing :)

xoxo,

Me

Can't miss me ..

What a long weekend... I am so tired as I write this! Yesterday me and Dan stayed at the keys for father's day and had such an early morning today & then work right after. I couldn't miss another workout considering what happened last time I took a running vacay, according to my nike app I hadn't worked out in 5 days. Let's start out with my bright and fabulous outfit... couldn't miss me if you tried. I never really match so I felt a little corny but hey it looked cute after all ( the socks matching was a coincidence I swear!).

I also tried out some sport beans on my run, didn't really notice any change in my energy but I also didn't run very far. The taste was yummy, reminded me of gatorade. I had trouble taking them out of the pouch mid-run since the opening is fairly small. I felt like I was eating candy.

My pace stayed around the same as previous runs, I'm just glad it isn't slowing down too much. This weekend is my first "long run" which is 4 miles, hopefully I keep a decent pace!

When I feel like the snails are passing me I always try to remember that quote. To have big dreams you have to have big determination :)

Attack of the sharkies

My run the other day was per usual :

I was able to complete most of the lap with a light jog which for me is more of a light run. I feel like I'm starting to tolerate the running without all the huffing and puffing. The run went pretty well until the end.

 Earlier in the day I went to sports authority to get some energy chews and other things to aid me. The first gummy I will review is the sharkie . These are technically for kids but I thought I'd try them anyways as a good way to introduce myself to energy chews.

i had the pack before my run and let me tell you I did not have a pleasant surprise at the end of my run. I was on the way back about 2min from my house when BAM it hits me. My stomach was at war with these gummies.  Lets just say I had to run back :( 

I never really take supplements so I think my body needs to get used to them slowly. I didn't feel much of a difference, probably because I bought the kid ones and clearly I am not 8! I will be reviewing all my other goodies as the weeks roll on. Next time I will try them out at home first before I go off on a run to see how they sit with my tummy... Lesson learned!

xoxo,

Me

Back to a normal pace

I have been a little spoiled because every time I have gone out for a run I best my previous mile (I guess because I am pretty slow). As I told you in my last post l had some trouble starting back up on the whole running regimen. Yesterday I finally was able to get back to a normal pace, to be honest I was just happy to complete my 30 min run!

I didn't do my best time but hey at least i finished :) I worked on my breathing more than my pace, which should help me in the long run. They say you are supposed to be able to hold a conversation while you run and sometimes I can barely string together a sentence. Hopefully I will have that under control soon enough!

xoxo,

Me

Morning test run

Ok so I usually run at night and today I decided to give the morning a shot. I have missed several training runs during the last two weeks since we were on vacation and the weather hasn't been the best here, so I knew this wasn't going to be a breeze.  It was beautiful day and I had to take advantage.

( this is my usual route.. Awesome right?)

I started out great, even ran my fastest mile to date which is 10'43".. as the time passed or crawled by I started to deteriorate. I set a goal of 4 miles and barely made it half way when I couldn't even catch my breath. I slowed down to a walk and had to stop the run on my nike app :( .

 While I was walking back to my house I was thinking of some of the things I did wrong and ways to improve on future runs.

• Eat a good breakfast; I basically only had a glass of milk
• Make sure you feel comfortable with the weather; I am def a night runner the heat was too much
• Stay hydrated; I forgot my water bottle and hadn't drank much water since the day before
• Don't go too long without a training run; I feel like I lost all the hard work I had been doing

I am proud of myself for realizing I wasn't feeling all that great and being able to turn around without much guilt. Till next time 

Xoxo

Me

Glass Slipper Challenge Sign-up

I did it.. I really did it. I signed up for the WDW glass slipper challenge! It is all sinking in now, I will be runnning 19.1 miles in two days. I seriously can't contain my excitement! By some miracle I was able to do the early registration and even get a $10 discount using the code : dvcrundisney.

I have been anxious since the day before yesterday about signing up because I know this race is going to sell out in record time. I am lucky enough to have signed up for other races right on time before they were sold out and I wanted this not to be any different. I am posting the different prices for all the races and events in case you haven't seen them yet.

Entry Fees and Deadlines

Disney Princess Half Marathon

• $160 by August 13, 2013
• $175 between August 14 and November 19, 2013
• $190 on or after November 20, 2013

Disney Enchanted 10K

• $95 by August 13, 2013
• $110 between August 14 and November 19, 2013
• $125 on or after November 20, 2013

Glass Slipper Challenge

• $270 by August 13, 2013
• $290 between August 14 and November 19, 2013
• $310 on or after November 20, 2013

Cinderella Royal Family 5K

• $60 per participant

runDisneyKids Races

• $15 per Kids Dash participant
• $30 per One Mile Run participant

Pasta in the Park Party Tickets

• $52 for Adults (ages 10 and up)
• $28 for Children (ages 3 – 9)
• Children Under 3 are free

Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Breakfast

• $37.50 for Adults (ages 10 and up)
• $17.50 for Children (ages 3 – 9)
• Children Under 3 are free

ChEAR Squad

• Bronze – No Charge
• Silver – $39 per package
• Gold – $65 per package
• Platinum - $115 per package

Race Retreat

• $120 per participant

In the registration you get to pick your favorite princess for your bib number; I chose Jasmine :) I will be planning my outfit around her colors. I am really looking forward to participating for the first time in the princess half and royal 10k, and I can't wait to get all that race bling!!!!

xoxo,
Me

Run / Walk you ask?

So now I am all signed up for the races and now what? Time to pick a training method!

                                   
                                 (looking forward to the expo to get these babies ^!!!)

Many of you have heard of the run/ walk method of training created by Jeff Galloway. I first learned about this on the run disney website. Since I have no prior training I decided to give it a whirl. After several runs using the different ratios of walking and running, I was disappointed. All I was left with was a ton of shin pain. I really think it is all the stopping once I have a bit of a jog going.

Once I get into a comfortable groove I like to keep it going as long as possible, I feel as if I get more tired with all the stop and go. Lots of people have had success with this method but it is just not for me. The training that I have been doing so far is just jogging and when I felt I was getting out of breath or tired I slowed down to a power walk and once I recovered I continued on. This really helped with the confidence I had in my running, I actually was able to complete almost 3 miles in about 30min. I use the nike running app which let's you know around every 5 minutes what your pace is. Using this app keeps me in check and I know when I need to speed up and when I can take a mini break.

So it is a good idea to try the methods that are already out there and if they don't work for you just follow what your body tells you :)

xoxo,
Me

A Non-runners beginning

Hello!

Welcome to my first blog post.. So I have decided to start this blog to track my progress and tell my tales of training for a half marathon with other races sprinkled in between. Let me preface this all by saying I AM NOT A RUNNER!

I am one of those love to lay on the couch and eat a pizza if possible people. I have tried so many different forms of exercise and nothing really calls out to me. I live in Dowtown Miami and have a great view, there is an island right across from my building which seemed like the perfect place to run. Only one small problem... I don't run.

You might ask, then why on earth are you running? The one thing that motivated me was as I was surfing the net I saw that Disney has racing events, I was instantly sold. I love disney, if I could go every weekend I probably would. I got the courage to sign up for the next 5k they were having, "The Everest Challenge". This race is a 5k with obstacles throughout and then a scavenger hunt right after.

I honestly haven't had that much fun in a while. I ran with my amazing boyfriend Dan, and let's just say he isn't a runner either but more athletically inclined. With barely any training we ran the 5k in 40min, something we are very proud of. If you are thinking about doing this race trust me you won't regret it. I have since then started attempting to run on a more regular basis since I fell head over heels for these disney races and proceeded to sign us up for the Tower of Terror 10 miler in October & the wine and dine half marathon in November! The best part is once you sign up there is no turning back :) I will document the good, the bad and the ugly on my blog and hope you will accompany me on this fabulous adventure, after all ....

"Every Mile is Magical".

xoxo,
Me