Run for the Trees 5K- Race Recap

This Saturday I decided somewhat last minute to do a 5k! I had thought about doing the Run for the Trees 5k, but didn't decide until Friday that I was for sure going to do it. My mom and brother were in town and so my brother said he'd run it with me. He said he was going to run a little slow though since he hadn't run in a week... just like a slow 19 minutes. HAHA! He's crazy!

After a late night on Friday, we woke up early around 5:30am or so on Saturday to get up and get ready for the drive to Winter Park for the race. I was sleepy but excited- I love 5k's! They are such a fun distance. I was a little mad at myself as I hadn't had the best workout/eating week, so I wasn't expecting to have that great of a race but I still wanted to push myself and have fun.



We headed out and got to the race plenty early, and found a parking spot... right next to a dumpster. lol. Kevin had to take off his regular shorts and wear his super short cross country star shorts.

Once we got all settled we headed to the race start. Kevin of course headed to the front of the lineup so he could go his super fast self. I kept closer to the back. ;)

Just a little background on this race. I believe they said it was the 19th Annual Run for the Trees. It is in a town called Winter Park which is basically an area of Orlando. Winter Park is well known for for large trees that form canopies over the streets, etc. The money for this race goes to the Winter Park Tree Replacement Fund. This helps replace many of the trees that were lost in hurricane damage during 2004, as well as other trees that may die during the year, etc.

The course itself is pretty cool too, as it runs through Winter Park and the last mile is on a privately owned wilderness dirt road that is complete tree-canopied. This area is only open to the public once a year for this specific event. The race started at one point and ended in the dirt road, so we did have to be shuttled back to the start line in buses.


OK so back to the race! I was ready to run! Even though I felt kind of gross and weak from a hectic weak, but oh well!

I started the race strong and was feeling good. The weather was really nice and not too hot or humid which was a pleasant surprise. It took me a little while to get in a groove because I had to do a lot of weaving around people and trying NOT to twist my ankle running up and down the curb. After a while it opened up and got easier. The race actually went by pretty fast, much faster than I remember the last two 5k's I did a few months ago. I was pushing myself and at that place where you feel like you can't catch your breath, especially at the last mile. 


The last mile was cool though since it was in the canopied dirt road, so that kept it interesting. Before I knew it I was at mile 3 and I pushed myself to sprint... well half way sprint haha... for the short rest of the way. I saw the clock at just over 30:00 and was a little disappointed... but then I realized I crossed the starting line a little after the clock started so I had hope for under 30.


I met my brother back at the starting line and we grabbed granola bars and water. I was pooped!!! 

We hung around and waited to see our results. One thing I will say that I don't love about races around here is the lack of yummy free food and things afterwards. Maybe I just got spoiled... but in Pensacola ALL of the races I did had SOOOOO much food. There was subs, pizza, hot dogs, beer, smoothies, etc. etc. etc. Lots of options! All the races I've done here basically have water, gatorade, bananas and granola bars. I mean it's fine and I shouldn't be eating all that junk at all, but I miss hanging out after a race and everything eating/drinking and having a good time. It seems to have a different feel here!

Anyways! So the race results came out and of course there was the typical mad rush to see. It took at least 15 minutes to squeeze my way through to see. See below. :) Please excuse my crude attempt at using paintbrush!

YAY!!! So while a chip time of 29:53 may not be reason to celebrate for most, I was very happy with my time! Especially after thinking I would do terrible due to my lack of exercise/good diet the past week. Now I'm really wanting to do another 5k where I'll actually be in a better place and hopefully get an even better time.

Afterwards we got to pick out free tree saplings as part of the race! I got a sycamore tree, and my brother got a river birth.

So all in all a great race! Afterwards my bro and I had a nice breakfast at starbucks with the pooches.

I had a good weekend after that too. My brother and husband and I went to Universal Studios that day for the last day of Mardi Gras celebration there and the 30 Seconds to Mars concert. We got some cajun food and watched the parade! 

Then today I went out and had breakfast with my mom, dad and brother out at Melbourne Beach! I went to the beach afterwards with my dad and it was SO nice... I hadn't been to the beach in so long.

I am pretty exhausted though! I am sure I will sleep great tonight. ;)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and has a great Monday tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

HOT as... Florida!

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while. I've been SO busy with work and things lately. I had an event on Saturday called OMGraduation! It's an event I came up with and planned (along with some fabulous co-workers!) for Seniors to get all of the information we educate students on in our office in a one-stop-shop format. It was great other than the fact that the AC was broken during the entire event... from 8:30am-3pm. PHEW!!! For anyone not in the South that may not mean a lot in this month, but here in Orlando it is SO HOT already!

So because of all that, I have been dragging a little this week and it's been hard to stay motivated to work out. Monday I set out to do 3 miles with my puppy dog Paisley. I was somewhat excited because it was my first chance to try out my new sunglasses I bought at Running Warehouse. They are the Tifosi Gavia SL Sunglasses in black. I love them! They were only $40 on Running Warehouse, which in my opinion, isn't bad for a nice pair of sunglasses. They even came with a nice fabric pouch to clean the lenses with, and a hard zip up glasses case. I LOVE Running Warehouse too because of their everyday free shipping and return shipping. There's nothing to lose!

We headed out around 5:30pm... it did not go as planned. I already had a feeling it'd be tough as I was just so run down from the weekend and hadn't ate good at all that day. After one mile I had to walk and I only did 2 miles total. Total fail! I was still happy I did SOMETHING though. Paisley was tired too... she normally can run further than me but she was dragging after the first quarter of a mile!

So I decided that I was just going to enjoy the walk. I just felt so exhausted and run down from work I needed the walk. I think Paisley did too... she was actually limping last night and I think it may have been from the run on Monday. :( She is doing better today though! I looked at my weather channel app on my iphone afterwards and it wasn't nearly as hot as I felt like it was which kind of dissapointed me, but it is what it is! I guess we all have off days... mine just happen frequently. Haha!

Even though my run didn't go as planned... my sunglasses worked GREAT! Despite my profuse sweating, they stayed put the entire time and I could see great. I love them! Definitely a good purchase.

In some other news... do you remember my last post where I mentioned hating my clothes and having such an issue clothes shopping? Well I decided to really force myself to go shop and not just give up if I get frustrated. I also decided to go to the Premium Outlets and shop at stores that I would normally avoid as they seemed too expensive in my mind, but I'm realizing I need to change where I shop to find places that compliment my figure, fit right, and are good quality that will last. I was excited as I got some really good deals!!!! I got several dresses, a skirt, shorts, work pants, and lots of tops at LOFT, Anne Taylor, and White House Black Market. Everything was heavily discounted- everything at Anne Taylor was 40% off, even clearance items which is where I got all of my items. I took a picture at work of one of my favorite dresses I bought because I'm a dork and wanted to send a pic to my mom. :)

 
I am super excited to have some clothes that make me feel good and more confident in myself, especially at work! I also went for the first time and got fitted for a bra, and let me tell you- if you haven't, GO DO IT asap! It is life changing!!! I found out I have been wearing the wrong size my whole life and now that I have the correct size, it's such a change. My staps don't fall down and I'm not constantly adjusting. I even feel a complete change in my posture. So go get fitted ladies! :)
 

What are some of your favorite stores to shop at? Do you have certain styles you wear that make you feel more confident?

Weekend Highs and Lows

The weekends are never long enough! Anyone else yawning at work this morning? I thought for this post I would post about my weekend in high points and low points for something a little different. :)

Highs:

• I ran 5 miles on Sunday with NO knee pain and I didn't have to walk!! I had some aches and pains in other places from soreness I had already from the body works class I did on Friday, but didn't feel any IT Band pain. I was SO excited, and SO SURPRISED! I thought it'd be a bad run- I hadn't worked out enough last week, only did my it band exercises ONCE (bad I know), was super tired that morning, sore from body works class, and it was pretty hot outside. Somehow though it went great! I was so excited. I even had a pretty decent time IMO for all of those factors.

• I had to go to a day long training on Saturday for a course I teach at UCF called SLS. It's a freshman success course. I was dreading going on a Saturday but was pleasantly surprised with the great information that was shared and a really good guest speaker. It was motivating and I left feeling pumped to teach!
• While I was walking the dogs on Saturday, I saw a bunch of little girls selling "tattoos" for 25 cents each. They were drawing them with washable markers. Nobody was buying so I thought I'd be nice and I gave them a dollar to draw a little heart with a red crayola marker on my wrist. These girls were SO excited and were running up and down the street screaming about getting a "customer." It was just so adorable! Then afterwards I met a neighbor on my street and her husband who both have two dogs similar to ours, and we talked and had a lot in common. I'm excited to have new friends in the neighborhood.
• David had Sunday off and we were able to spend some quality time in the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon! We have annual passes to the Disney Water Parks and love going and relaxing.
• After Typhoon Lagoon, David and I bought a inflatable kiddie pool for us to cool off in at the house, as well as Paisley (our poodle mix who loves the water... Princess hates it). Paisley had so much fun in it! While we were filling it up Paisley jumped right in on her own and splashed around. It was adorable!

Low:

• After my SLS training on Saturday which I was surprised how much I enjoyed and left in a great mood... I walked out to my car and realized I had left my lights on and my battery was dead. I had to sit around in the sticky nasty heat until David could come and give my car a jump! At least I had my new Runners World magazine to read. haha.
• Saturday night David and I planned to go out to eat and go shopping but we (OK it was just ME) just couldn't get moving out the door. I tried to find something to wear and that prompted an hour long self-pity fest of how I have nothing to wear and how nothing looks good on me. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this?? So then we attempted to go shopping so I could find things to wear... well we forgot the mall closes at 9pm and we got there at 8:40. So then we went to Target since that's open until 10pm and I tried on at least 18 things and cried in the dressing room as nothing was working. Not my finest evening!
• David and I got rolled around on the concrete in the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon. I have "concrete burn" all over my back, arm and knees. Ouch!!!

All in all, it was a good weekend, just TOO QUICK! I have an event at work next weekend so I'll be working all day Saturday again. I'm so excited for the weekend after that to have my full weekend back. :)

Do you have a hard time buying clothes that you like, are flattering to your figure, fit appropriately and are not super expensive? Where do you shop at?

Recipe- Chicken Stir Fry

I have a love/hate relationship with cooking. I love to be able to create things that I know what all is going into it, can choose healthy ingredients and substitutions, etc. I HATE grocery shopping, the time it takes, and doing the dishes and cleaning up afterwards. I think if I worked part-time or something I would cook much more, but I still do try to cook when I can.

One thing I do is look for recipes that are quick and easy so I don't get overwhelmed and frustrated. Also, I look for recipes that don't have a TON of ingredients, as well as things that I can stock up on that don't go bad.

One of my all-time favorite go to recipes is Chicken Stir-Fry. It's quick, easy, yummy, and pretty healthy in my opinion!

Here is the recipe... it's very interchangeable, and you can substitute things that you like. I found the original recipe from http://www.food.com/ and have played around with it a little bit. I love http://www.food.com/! Also, Cooking Light has some great recipes as well. Read the reviews too... they will give you more ideas on things to add or swap out!



Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or less or more depending on how much you like), cut into chunks

3 cloves garlic or equivalent in the jarred minced garlic

3 heads broccoli, cut

1/2-1 cup baby carrot, sliced thin

1 small onion, sliced

1 (16 ounce) package snow peas, fresh or frozen
    
 OR

substitute ALL fresh veggies (and time and chopping) for a bag of frozen veggies... I use the walmart brand frozen bags of veggies that specifically say stir-fry veggie medley... no preservatives and still full of flavor!

2 -4 teaspoons sesame oil (you can substitute olive oil, canola, etc. but I think it tastes better with sesame)

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce, to taste

2-4 cups hot cooked rice (I use Publix brand brown rice that you can microwave)

Directions:
1. Put rice in microwave/on stove to cook while you prep the chicken/veggies

2. Heat about a tsp or two of sesame oil over high heat in a large skillet.

3. Add garlic and sauté until golden.

4. Add chicken, sprinkled with salt and pepper if desired, and stir fry until no longer pink (you may need to lower the heat so garlic doesn't burn.) Remove chicken and garlic from pan.

5. Add another tsp or two of sesame oil and return to high heat.

6. Add all vegetables and stir fry until tender.

7. Add back chicken and garlic and add teriyaki sauce.

8. Stir fry another minute or two.

9. Serve over hot cooked rice.

ENJOY!!! :)

What are some of your favorite quick and healthy recipes? Do you look online for recipes or come up with them on your own?

Weather Blues

Good morning from rainy Orlando!

This week has been really stormy and bad out. Constant rain, thunder and lightning. Right now this is passing over us...

So yesterday when it was getting close to 5:00, I went and changed into my workout clothes and started packing up my stuff... then I looked outside at just how bad it was. Rain was going horizontal and the people outside were being blown around by the wind. Scary!!! I started getting that feeling of wanting to just call it a night and go home and snuggle under a comfy blanket on the couch and watch TV for a few hours. I think we've all had that right? Some of my coworkers were saying "You're not going to workout in this weather are you??" That just furthered my desire to just go home! haha. I decided though that I was already dressed and I had to basically drive past the road to the gym to get home, so I may as well try to go (as long as it was safe to do so).

As I was heading to the gym I got a text from my hubby that there was golf size hail hitting our house! I couldn't believe we were getting HAIL in Orlando! I didn't see any from where I was though. Surprisingly when I got to the gym the weather had let up for a brief moment so I was able to run inside without getting drenched or struck by lightning (I have a horrible fear of being struck! I don't even like to use umbrellas because I worry it'll attract the lightning to me).

I tried a new class yesterday called Body Works Plus Abs. Oh. my. GOSH! It was intense! It was all weights and mainly focused on legs, arms, and a little bit of abs at the end. It was the hardest workout I've done in a long time. It's funny how you can think you're in good shape, and then you do a different type of workout and you feel more out of shape than ever! The hardest part was when we did a ton of work on our calves, hanging our feet off a step, etc. I tend to get charlie horses in my calves very easily so I was really nervous throughout doing those exercises that it would hit me and I'd be the crazy new girl who starts screaming and hopping around in class to get rid of the charlie horse. Luckily I didn't get any in the middle of the night last night either as that happens to me sometimes too. They are the WORST!

So I made it through the class and I have to say, I was very proud that I made myself go to the gym even with the weather making me not really want to. Afterwards I was SO glad I went and the class was such a great workout. I definitely plan to do this again, hopefully every Wednesday!

This morning it's still really yucky out... tornado watches and warnings all over the place around here!

This is what it looked like on my way to work this morning!

I made it to my office without getting TOO drenched thanks to my big old dorky looking rain coat and my umbrella. Haha. I had to walk through puddles up to my shin though, so gross!

If you are having bad weather in your neck of the woods, please be careful and stay safe and warm!

Do you have a hard time working out when the weather is bad? How do you motivate yourself to fight through the urge to have a lazy day on the couch?

When things don't go as planned...

Do any of you ever feel like nothing ever goes quite as planned? I am feeling like that is the norm lately!

We have been dealing with a lot of drama with companies since moving into our house... specifically with Rooms To Go (furniture store) and Comcast. I will tell anyone I know to NEVER use either of those two places if you can avoid it. We have spent hours on the phone with both of these places to get no real solution to any of our problems... so much so that now we are over our minutes on our cell phones. Grr.

Oh and not to mention that someone burned down my patio table this weekend! Yes I'm completely serious. Here's proof if you don't believe me!

However, I was thinking specifically about how our exercise plans don't go quite as planned.

For example... on Wednesday I wanted to workout after work but had a last minute presentation after hours that took until 8pm. I don't know about you, but I'm not devoted enough to workout after a 12 hour day- I head straight for the fridge and then the couch!

Thursday I planned to go to spin and made it there right on time- got the last bike! So that day did actually go as planned, and I got in a great workout!

Friday I planned to go to the gym and do elliptical and weight machines. However when I got home my hubby said he'd be up for going on a long walk with the dogs. David has been having back issues for a while and it's been worse this past week, so I dropped my plans because I was SO excited he felt up to and was willing to go for a walk. Also, the dogs really needed the exercise... we are both so busy and they really don't get walked as much as I would like. We walked around 3.5 miles with the dogs at a pretty slow pace so David wouldn't hurt himself. I felt a little bad about myself for not getting in a "good" workout, but for that evening I really had to make David and the furbabies a priority!

Saturday I had to do a presentation for 100 screaming middle schoolers... fun times! I still did the 6 Week 6 Pack on demand workout but felt like I needed to do more... just no time.

Sunday I decided I was going to go for a run. I was determined to have a good run with no knee pain and was hoping for 5 miles. That didn't go as planned either... I ran 3.8 miles and had some knee pain (not bad enough I couldn't run though) starting at mile 2. At first I was really upset. I really had set myself up thinking this would be the day all my it band issues would just magically go away... then I realized that wasn't really realistic. Yes, I've been doing good with my it band exercises/stretches and foam rolling, but really only consistently for a couple weeks. I also wasn't able to use the knee strap I had planned on using that I bought from Running Warehouse because it had disapeared after our housewarming party... pretty sure it accidentally got thrown away (another thing that didn't go as planned).

I put myself in a better mood and realized it's just going to take time, and I just need to stay strong and be consistent. In the time being, I went ahead and ordered another knee strap, and I even hit up a Pilates class after my run on Sunday! I loved the class and I know it'll be good for me since I really need to build up my core strength to combat ITBS. I was beat afterwards! I also made sure to foam roll of course!

I am feeling better today and ready to take on the week! I'm hoping to try a few new classes at my gym this week too. :)

What do you do when things don't go as planned? How do you prioritize your exercise plans with other life plans that also need to get done?

ITBS= Too Many Excuses...

What is ITBS you ask? If you don't know what it is, consider yourself extremely lucky!

First of all I will say, I am not a doctor so please consult your doctor if you are dealing with an injury such as ITBS for more information/treatment.

From what I have researched, ITBS, or iliotibial band syndrome, is a common injury in runners. The IT band begins in the hip and goes down the thigh, to the knee and into the shin. The most common symptom of ITBS (and the one I've continually experienced) is pain on the outside of the knee. This is often worse when running up or down hills. I have also found it to be worsen while doing sprints, or increasing mileage too quickly. From an article in Running Times (see here), it is discussed how many runners lack strength in their core and hips which can lead to issues with the IT band. Overtraining or doing too much too soon doesn't seem to be a good idea either!

So why am I telling you all of this? Because ITBS has been a frustrating injury for me since January 2010. Over a YEAR now!

My first half marathon was the Disney Half Marathon in January of 2010. I did really great in training up until about 3-4 weeks prior to the race. This is due to that fact that I was finishing up my masters degree, interviewing, then accepting and then searching for a place to live near my current job at UCF in Orlando. It was a very hectic time! The half went decent with no injuries during the race (had a GREAT time running with my awesome RB-running buddy, Karen!). It was still a little slow because Orlando was experiencing record lows and it was pretty miserable in that regard. However, a few weeks later during a short speedwork workout, I noticed a sudden, sharp, and EXTREMELY painful stabbing sensation on the outside of my left knee. Ever since then my runs have never been the same! 

I rested and recovered for a while, then commenced the strengthening exercises, stretching and foam rolling that I feel like I will now be destined to do for the rest of my life. It was frustrating as I would think my knee had gotten better, and then go out for a run and EVERY time right at .65 of ONE mile the stabbing pain would return... I couldn't run through it, it was too painful. After a few months of very little running and a lot of walking, exercise videos, combined with the IT band exercises, I was running again. I was still a little nervous but decided to give another half marathon a shot. I signed up for the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon in October of 2010.

I decided that I would take it VERY easy and if I had ANY knee pain I would back off and I'd just take my time with it. Training went great... I actually made a new friend right around this time who ran with me through a majority of my runs- I don't know how I would have gotten through it without her!

Fast forward to race day... I was once again running with my RB! Things were going great, I was excited, thinking this will be the half I'll really be able to push it and get a good time (while still getting pics with characters of course!). Well it was too good to be true. Right at mile 8.5 while running on some small hills (which I had not incorporated into my training- stupid me!) my RIGHT knee got the same stabbing pain sensation. I had to walk the rest of the half marathon. Thank goodness I have the great running buddy who stuck with me the rest of the way- I would have just wallowed in self pity the entire rest of the way if not but we still had fun with it and got lots of character pictures. I was mainly worried about keeping up the 16 minute mile pace required to get your medal, but we did it, gimp knee and all! I would be lying if I said I wasn't upset afterwards though... I bawled my eyes out in the car on the way home. I had JUST gotten over my ITBS and now it was back??? I had done all my exercises, stretching, foam rolling.. why did I deserve this??

 After this injury my knee was in pain for a few days even when I wasn't running, which was new. However, after a few weeks my right knee never seemed to really hurt again. Now my LEFT knee is actually acting up again at the moment...

Due to ITBS I have made a lot of excuses in the last year as to why I need to go slow or why I can't run or do certain workouts. I am DONE making excuses! While I will of course not do anything to hurt my IT Band or anything unsafe, I need to get this under control. I have not been doing my IT Band exercises or foam rolling for the past month with the crazyness of moving and I can feel that affecting my knee.

Here are some things I plan to do from now on to keep my IT Band from being an excuse:

1. Do my IT Band exercises, stretches, and foam rolling at least 4 times a week.
2. Always stretch after a run and warm up properly.
3. Slow down if my knee is in pain and make sure I'm doing enough stretching, etc.
4. Incorporate hill and speed work into my running routine
5. Embrace cross training (such as spin class, workout videos, elliptical, etc.)
6. Do more core work- such as a pilates class
7. Look into getting sports massages for my IT Band if necessary (this will honestly be a last resort as I'm just so cheap, but if I need it I will get it)

 I hope that in the next few months I will be feeling better! I don't necessarily want to get over ITBS to do another race (for now at least), but just so I can stop making excuses because of this. Even without ITBS I still want to always incorporate cross training and things other than running to keep it fresh!

 So with that in mind- I did a workout video today through Exercise TV! I love doing the on demand workouts through Exercise TV- check it out if you have digital cable or go to their web-site. I did Jillian Michael's 6 Week 6 Pack video so I could work on my core strength. It is HARD but felt good!

 Even though these are super dorky and embarassing, I thought I'd post some silly pictures my husband took of me during and after. Don't laugh at me too much! :)

Me saying "Why are you taking pictures of me? I'm gross and sweaty!" lol

:) I'll keep y'all posted on how my list goes! I am hoping to see improvements that last.

Good night everyone and thanks for reading!