May 15 2013

Cox Rhode Races: United Healthcare Half Marathon Recap

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This past Sunday I ran the Cox Rhode Races for the 4th year in a row! I can’t believe I’ve been running for 3 years already – where does the time go?

And is there a better way to spend your 3 year run-iversary than by running a half with one of your favorite people?! I’d say that there is not…

Kelly and I met around 7 a.m. to start getting ready for the race. I’m glad we got there early because the marathon started at 7:30 so the potty lines were already getting long! Once we got that out of the way we hid in the car until about 7:50 because it was a cool, rainy morning.

I could tell Kelly was nervous but we just chatted away the whole time, not about the race at all, so it kept us occupied. We made our way to a VERY crowded start line shortly before start time…or so we thought. For some reason (which may never be known to us) the race was delayed about 15 or so minutes.

And we were finally off! The rain had stopped but it was still super humid out. I’m so glad it was cloudy or it would’ve been brutally hot! I realized very shortly into the race that I had to pee again – whoops. I guess that coffee and Nuun was just a bit too much just before the race!

We were heading up toward Mile 4-ish – Kelly was struggling with breath thanks to the humidity and I really had to pee, so we stopped. One thing I really love about the Cox Rhode Races is that there are PLENTY of water stops and there’s potties at pretty much all of them. Unfortunately some people don’t care that we’re RACING and take their sweet time going to the bathroom! I swear it took 3 minutes or more just so I could pee quickly.

Then we were off again – Kelly used the opportunity to stop, catch her breath, fuel up and drink plenty of water while I was waiting for the potty. During that time it also started raining again, but it was just sprinkly and honestly it felt really good. We were both pretty grateful for it since the humidity was making it so gross and sticky out.

I was keeping Kelly posted on what to expect in the next couple of miles along the course (since I’ve run it twice, and used to live right down the street from the area we were in) when I heard someone say “Hey, I read your blog.” Well HOLY COW THAT WAS EXCITING! I’ve never met a blog reader in person (other than friends and family…) so that was such a cool experience for me! Huge shout out to Amanda for recognizing me and saying hi!

We kept chugging along – I was doing my best to keep Kelly occupied because I knew she was struggling. Between the humidity and her left leg screwing with her, she was having a rough time. Unfortunately this half is relatively hilly so that doesn’t help the legs when they’re already tired/sore.

I managed to only screw up on course information once – we were about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile from where I thought we were…whoops! We did get a good laugh out of it though, especially when I told her we were REALLY at the location I thought we were at 1/2 a mile ago… hehe

Unfortunately by Mile 8 the humidity/leg was really getting to Kelly and we had to slow to a walk. She said she was dizzy and thirsty which automatically turned me to “worried friend mode.” We slowed down, and were able to rehydrate properly about 1/2 mile from there at mile 9. We started running again, knowing it was a lot of downhill from where we were. I also gave her a few Pink Lemonade Honey Stinger chews to help regulate blood sugar, and threatened her by telling her I was going to sing Justin Timberlake to her. It helped, I swear Winking smile 

At that point I told her that we could still make the time she was looking for, but she didn’t want to push it. Having been in her exact shoes during a race, I completely understood and told her that I’d just continue to run with her from there, at her pace, and we’d cross that finish line together. She was like “Oh that’s so nice.” to which I replied, “Well, I told you I’d run with you. You’re not having a great race, so what am I going to do? Ditch you and say have a nice life?!” We had a pretty good laugh after that…

The rest of the race was pretty uneventful – we ran more than we walked, I talked and Kelly nodded – I told her, I’ll do all the talking, you just focus on what you’re doing.

At Mile 11 one of the water stop guys commented on how I was still smiling – I was having a good time. Running a race at a pace a couple minutes per mile slower than I’m used to is actually really fun, and I really enjoy pushing my friends to finish and get to where they want to be!

Once we could see the turn toward the finish line, and the huge crowd of spectators, I could sense a change in Kelly. I knew she was excited that we were about to finish and she cranked it into high gear! We finished that final 0.36 miles at a 9:20 pace! Woohoo! She also saw her mommy and sister as she finished. My mommy was there too, and caught a couple of great pics, but I didn’t see her til we finished.

All in all it was a great time, I really enjoy running and pacing others! Turns out that even though it wasn’t a half marathon PR for Kelly it WAS a course PR, and a huge one at that!

Here are some of the pics from the day:

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Thanks to my mommy for taking pics for us! And since it was Mother’s Day I took my mom out for lunch at one of our usual post-race venues, Union Station Brewery, but I was clearly too hungry to photo my food! I gave up gluten free for the afternoon (obviously) and enjoyed 2 more craft beers and buffalo chicken pizza. It was amazing!

Now the countdown is on – less than 48 hours til Reach the Beach!

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May 11 2013

Joe’s American Bar & Grill–My Gluten Free Experience

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Let me preface this post by saying it is in no way, shape, or form sponsored by Joe’s American Bar & Grill.

Last night I went to dinner with Jess at Joe’s American Bar & Grill in Providence Place Mall. I’ve eaten there once before while being gluten free and had good service, but last night’s service was really above and beyond anything I’ve ever experienced at a chain restaurant.

After perusing the menu for a while I decided on the Angel Hair Primavera with chicken, knowing that Joe’s offers gluten free pasta. When I ordered the first question from the waitress was “Is this for an allergy or just a matter of personal preference.” to which I replied allergy. I had also ordered a side salad which typically comes with croutons, so she advised me that there would be no croutons on my salad.

Less than 2 minutes later the manager is at our table, introducing herself and talking to me about my order. She repeated my order to me, advised me that the gluten free pasta was penne, reiterated the fact that my salad would come sans croutons (and asked what dressing I had ordered, to be sure that was also GF), and then asked me if I’d like a gluten free roll to go with my meal. Of course I said yes, I never say no to bread!

The manager told me I was in good hands with the chef that was on duty, they have a specific procedure they use to prepare food for people with a gluten allergy.

All of the food was AMAZING. I am so impressed with Joe’s staff and their willingness to go above and beyond for their customers with food allergies. If you suffer from gluten intolerance or celiac – Joe’s is one chain restaurant you will NOT have a hard time dining at.

A huge thank you to the staff of Joe’s in Providence Place mall for giving me such an amazing dining experience – I am a very happy customer and I will be back!

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May 10 2013

Five for Friday: Fun Stuff

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Happy Friday! I woke up WAY too early this morning, so I did what most normal people would do and went for a run.

What do you mean most normal people don’t go for a run when they wake up way too early?!

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Since it’s Friday and I have lots of fun stuff to talk about, why not go at it Five for Friday style?!

1) I’ve got my run mojo back. I’ve run 3 times so far this week, 4 miles each, two of those runs before 8 a.m. And I’m getting speedier again too – Tuesday’s run was a 9:09 average pace, yesterday’s was an 8:54 average pace, and today’s recovery was a 9:38 pace which is fast for me for recovery!

2) Sunday is my 3-year race/run-iversary. I honestly can’t believe I’ve been running for 3 years. One fateful day in May 2010 changed my life forever. I ran/walked the Cox Rhode Races 5k in 42:19. 3 years later, I’m running the Cox Rhode Races Half Marathon for the 3rd time and it will be my 10th half marathon. The best part about Sunday is I am not going for a PR, I’m not pushing myself to victory, but rather pushing my friend Kelly to her PR and helping her feel victorious!

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Enjoying a brew after running the Cox Half the first time…

3) My new furniture arrives today. I’ve been in my new apartment for a week and a half but don’t have any living room furniture. Right now all that’s in there is a TV, my desk chair (because I haven’t gotten around to actually organizing my desk yet) and an ottoman stacked with pictures waiting to be hung up. My poor TV looks so lonely…

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Here’s a peek at the stuff I bought for my living room – I looked and looked for furniture that wasn’t some shade of brown!

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Isn’t it so cute?! I also got this combo bookcase/TV stand so my little TV won’t be so lonely…

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I’ll have to share some pics with you guys when everything is said and done.

4) I’m going to the Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet (aka #FitBlogNYC). Next Thursday I get to join a big group of other bloggers and fitness peeps from all over at FitBlogNYC. I can’t even begin to express how excited I am to be a part of this – and I get to take a day trip in the middle of the week to NYC. I wanted to go last year but couldn’t, so you can only imagine my delight when I got the e-mail stating I’d been accepted to go this year! You will hear so much more about that in the next couple of  weeks!

5) Reach the Beach is a WEEK AWAY! Team Tutu Hot to Handle has a start time of 8 a.m. next Friday. My first leg will start roughly around 1 p.m. give or take. It’s my first relay ever – I’m so excited.  I’ve been preparing my packing list since yesterday – it’s quite the thought process that goes into packing, yet making sure you’re not over packing. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

This next week is going to be absolutely crazy for me so if you don’t hear from me much don’t be surprised – but brace yourself for when I get back because I will have TONS of stuff to talk about!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

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May 8 2013

Newport 10 Miler Race Recap

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Better late than never, right? On Sunday, April 28th, I ran the Newport 10 Miler with my friend Kelly. This experience was a treat for me because it was my first time pacing someone. I was lucky enough to have a pacer for both my first half marathon (which took place before I started this little bloggy) and my first marathon, plus a couple other races in between so I fully understand the benefits of having someone to push you along to help reach your goal. As soon as I realized I wasn’t going to be able to train for this race properly in order to reach the goal I was looking for, I let Kelly know that I’d run with her.

We planned to meet around 7 a.m. at registration (since the race was in Newport it was a tad inconvenient for me to drive there the day before to pick up my number). It just so happened as we were pulling into the parking lot that Kelly and her boyfriend were two cars ahead of me. That made meeting up super easy!

It was a gorgeous morning – the sun was shining bright, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and it was a bit cool with temps in the high 30’s. The coolness didn’t last very long since most of the race was in the sun!

While we waited for the start I ran into Nancy, Amy, and Michelle! I knew they’d be running and we had been trying via Twitter to figure out where to meet – I literally heard my name and they were all right behind me! After a (mandatory) group pic (I’m not sure who has that one…) we went our separate ways since we had different goals for the race.

I stuck with Kelly, making sure she stayed calm, and I also made sure I was ready by using The Stick on my legs (P90X Plyometrics 3 days before a race is NOT a good idea!) and hydrating on some of my Kona Cola Nuun. And of course we got our own pre-race pic…

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Next thing we know it’s time to go! The first mile was up a slight hill which we immediately discussed as being great for the finish! I let Kelly set the pace and just checked in with her from time to time to make sure she didn’t feel like she was going too fast. Our goal pace was 10:45 and she was ahead of that so as pacer I knew it was my responsibility to make sure she didn’t go out too fast.

The original goal for this race was sub 1:50, the ultimate goal, though, was to PR, which meant we had to beat 1:47:38.

We were ahead of pace each mile up to Mile 6 where we had to slow down for a water stop – it was getting pretty warm at this point and I could tell Kelly was starting to wear down a bit. I was working on encouraging her, making sure she knew exactly where we were at as far as being on pace for a PR, etc… All of a sudden she says, “Is that Eric? (her bf). No, it can’t be. Wait YES it is!” It was him and two of her good friends on the side of the road cheering and yelling for us with a big sign! Eric came into the middle of the road to high five us and send us on our way.

Their timing couldn’t have been better because Kelly then got a little spring in her step and picked up the pace again.

But we knew what we had coming up and that was the worst of the hills in the race – Miles 7-10 had the biggest climbs in the race. They weren’t huge but by that time they sure felt like it for both of us. We slowed way down by Mile 8, but I assured Kelly it was okay because we were definitely going to make her goal at this point unless we walked it in and there was no way we were doing that knowing we had plenty of downhill left in the last mile!

Around Mile 8 we slowed to a walk, split a package of Honey Stinger chews, hydrated up (that water stop had water, Gatorade, fruit, and cookies – I can’t imagine eating cookies while running although I was tempted…), and discussed starting to run again as soon as we hit the top of the hill.

It was literally all downhill from there with an elevation loss in Mile 9 of 91 feet, a slight gain of 24 in Mile 10, then another loss of 32. I could tell Kelly was getting really weary, even when we re-entered Fort Adams (which is where the race start and finish was). The worst part (for both of us) was being able to see where we started when we were running but still having 3/4 of a mile to go – where the hell was the finish line?

We actually had no idea where the finish line was but just kept following everyone else and trucking along – I continued to keep Kelly posted as to how far we had to go, started pushing her a little harder as we hit the last half mile, and encouraged her by telling her that no matter what she was going to get that PR she was looking for today.

Then we FINALLY saw the finish line and really started making a run for it – and then Kelly saw her parents and that gave her that final little boost that she needed! We made it, 10.04 miles in 1:46:15 – a 1:23 PR for Kelly, with Mile 10 being an exact 10 minute mile, her fastest mile of the entire race!

She was stoked for her PR, I was stoked for my first successful pacing adventure. It was a great race and I would definitely run it again.

Here are the actual stats from race day:

Newport 10 Miler Splits

Have you PR’ed lately? Have you ever successfully paced someone?

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May 6 2013

The Return of Monday Love (And Me!)

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Good morning and Happy Monday my friends! I am pleased to say that I am back and ready to regularly blog again. Phew, does life really get in the way of fun sometimes or what?! Winking smile

Lets get right to it, shall we?

1) Spring has sprung. We have been having some of THE BEST spring weather the past couple of weeks. It made my move way easier than it would’ve been if it was cold out, it made the Newport 10 Miler and post race festivities way more enjoyable, and I’ve been sleeping with the window open!

Side note: Race recap on the Newport 10 Miler to follow soon…

2) Spending time with good friends. I got to see both of my best friends this weekend. Friday  night I went to dinner with my friend Jen and my mom, then Jen and I spent a little time spring shopping and outfitting my apartment with things like fun hand soaps and candles. Yesterday my friend Sara and I went on a 3 mile walk to benefit the United Way Food Bank in Connecticut then spent a few hours together over lunch and a couple of drinks catching up. It’s always great when you get to spend so much time with your very good friends.

3) A fresh start. April was a crazy, crazy month for me. Sickness, having to move again, and so much other crazy nonsense in between. Now it’s May, I’m in my new place, I’m feeling healthy, and I’m ready for a fresh start. I couldn’t be more grateful for everyone that pushed me through April and helped me get through so that I could be here today, healthy and happy.

4) 2 years of blogging. You awesome readers have been supporting me in this little space in the internet for 2 years now! I totally missed my actually blogiversary (April 29th) because I was so caught up in my move. But I want you all to know how grateful I am that you are always here for me, reading, commenting, and supporting. I wouldn’t continue to do this if it wasn’t for you guys, so thank you!

I hope you guys have an amazing Monday! Mine is shaping up to be great – I’m blogging again, I have a client this afternoon then some time in between to get in a great workout before having to work again, and it’s gorgeous out. Enjoy the day!

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Apr 23 2013

April Bulu Box

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About a week or so ago I received my latest Bulu Box. And I finally received one that I wanted to dig into right away!

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See why I was so excited? In this box:

Neo-Chill – Clinically tested capsules to help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and support calmness without causing drowsiness. I know very well I’ll put these to good use something in the near future!

Barlean’s Omega Swirl Fish Oil Supplement – I’ve searched high and low for a fish oil supplement that doesn’t leave that “fishy taste” – I’ve tried pills, chews, oils, you name it… This Barlean’s Omega Swirl is DELICIOUS. The packaging says “smoothie taste and texture” and that’s no joke! This stuff is delicious. I will be ordering this from Bulu Box ASAP.

Cocoa Via – Daily cocoa extract supplement. These are designed to aid in healthy circulation by helping blood vessels stay flexible and expand as needed. Bonus: it’s chocolate, and it tastes DELICIOUS. I am currently drinking the cran-raspberry flavor mixed with water and it is so yummy. They’re only 20-30 calories per serving, so if you’re looking for a way to spice up your water, this is it! I will definitely be ordering these too.

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E-Boost – Energy and immunity dietary supplement. I will admit I’m a tad bit afraid of this. I’ve tried Airborne and Emergen-C and haven’t liked them. I will try it, when I feel I need an immunity boost, but I am hesitant.

Barre – Real Food bar. Yum. Yumyumyumyumyum. 100% all natural ingredients, delicious flavor, chewy texture. You absolutely cannot go wrong with these – my flavor, Black Swan Chocolate Berry. I’m eating it as I type – oh so good.

XyloBurst – Xylitol chewing gum. I don’t chew gum very often – especially fruit flavored ones because they usually lose their flavor fast – but I will give this one a try and let you know what I think.

Ohhh Bulu Box, why did you do this to me this month? I fear I am going to spend my entire paycheck…

Have you ordered your BuluBox yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Order here today!

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Disclaimer: For every subscription ordered from Bulu Box through my personal link I receive a 20% commission. I’ve also received all Bulu Boxes to date at no charge to me.

Apr 22 2013

Pardon the Interruption…

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Boy life sure does come at you fast sometimes doesn’t it? Hence my lack of posts lately…

Last week it didn’t feel appropriate to post my usual light hearted silly stuff given what happened in Boston. I was also still feeling less than 100% from the awful sinus infection I had, and then had a minor medical procedure on Friday that left me house bound for the weekend.

I am ready to get back to regular life now…thank you very much. I miss running and lifting weights and blogging and everything that being couch bound for a few days makes you miss out on. I drove to Whole Foods yesterday just to get some fresh air!

Next on my agenda is moving day – but that shouldn’t put too much of a kink in my fitness plans. This moving day (yes, I’m moving again…) is very exciting because I finally found a place I can call my own! A cute on bedroom apartment just for me – no roommates, no parents, no one but me. I’m so excited to get in there and make it my own!

I have a lot in store from the end of this month through the beginning of June – a race every, single weekend! Nothing too crazy or too serious though – other than Reach the Beach and Tough Mudder!

That’s about all I’ve got for you guys today – I just wanted to explain my absence! Things should be getting back to normal around here now!

Have a great Monday!

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Apr 17 2013

Boston…

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Last year at this time I had just written a post going on and on about how volunteering at the Boston Marathon was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my adult life. While that still holds true, I don’t feel that’s an appropriate blog subject at this time. I have been silent for the past few days while I try to process exactly what happened and exactly how I feel about it. 

Monday started just like any other day (other than the 4:30 a.m. wake up call). I ate breakfast, drank my coffee, and drove to Framingham. Everything was the same as last year – the set up, the team meeting, the motivation among volunteers. We got to work and next thing you know – it’s all over and we’re cleaning up.

At this point I had been up for 8 hours with another hour until I got home, and given that I’ve been fighting a sinus infection for 2 straight weeks I decided I would head home, rather than into Boston to spectate and go to the after party. Probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

A nap was in order when I got home, and at some point during my nap my mom called. She sounded a bit freaked out and was asking where I was. Being aggravated that my nap got interrupted I said “I’m at home.” To which she replies, “Two bombs just went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.” That didn’t quite get my attention since I was still half asleep so I was just like “Oh, what? What happened? Okay.”

It didn’t truly dawn on me until I hung up the phone from her and first saw the messages from my best friend “Are you still in Boston? If so I hope you are okay.” Then I had 5 or 6 other text messages from various friends, my brother’s girlfriend “What is happening in Boston?!”, and others saying “Are you okay?” It finally hit me. Oh shit, something bad happened, so I got up and ran immediately to my computer, fired it up, and got on MSN.com, Facebook, and Twitter. And I sat there, completely in shock and crying for 2 1/2 hours. I texted Dani, Colleen, and Greg – wishing, hoping, praying, that nothing happened to them. I was just with Dani (and her wife) and Colleen (and her daughter) two days prior, blocks from the incident, laughing, eating lunch, and enjoying each others company, then this happened?

I scoured the Facebook and Twitter accounts of everyone I could possibly think of that I knew was in Boston that day – and I am without words to express how grateful I am that not a single person I know was physically harmed.

These are not my thoughts on what happened or why, they’re not my thoughts on how I am lucky I wasn’t there and how grateful I am no one I know was harmed. This is just my way of recapping what happened to me that day, because it’s all I can get out right now. I feel I may have another emotional breakdown if I try to express my feelings on this situation at this moment. I still can’t read blog posts or news stories without crying.

When I can, you will hear from me. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with every single person who had to witness this situation first hand – whether you were physically harmed or not, you were harmed. We just can’t let the bad guys win.

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Apr 10 2013

What I Ate Wednesday: Taco Rice

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Good morning! It’s Wednesday already! Where does the time go? This week’s What I Ate Wednesday is brought to you by a recipe I completely made up last night – and being oh so original, I called it Taco Rice.  It’s so simple to make – I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

TACO RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

1 pound ground beef

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

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Homemade taco seasoning:

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

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Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions. While it’s cooking add sea salt, black pepper, cumin, and cilantro to taste (I never measure my spices when I’m cooking!).

While rice is cooking sauté all vegetables (except tomatoes) in about a tablespoon of olive oil until crisp-tender. Pour hot vegetables into bowl on top of tomatoes, mix together, and set aside.

Cook ground beef until fully done, then add homemade taco seasoning and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium, and simmer until all water is absorbed.

Combine rice, vegetables, and beef in large bowl until fully integrated. Serve with fresh chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and corn tortilla chips if desired.

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What have you made recently that you really enjoyed?

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Apr 8 2013

#30for60 Week 1 Check-In

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Good Monday morning! Week 1 of the 30 for 60 Challenge is already in the books!

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Here’s a quick rundown of my workouts:

Monday: Abs and upper body supersets for 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes on the elliptical.

Tuesday: One hour of all levels hot yoga. I’m so glad I’ve begun my yoga practice again, I can tell I’ve been out of it.

Wednesday: I started to feel tired, weak, and run down on Wednesday. I thought it was allergies – but as I sit here now with a full blown cold, I know otherwise. So, I took the long way to and from work, for a 30 minute total walk.

Thursday: Legs/Abs Tabata workout. As much as I love working in a gym, I don’t always love working out in it. I like being able to do workouts at home when the mood strikes me. Then I went for a 30 minute run that wasn’t so pleasant thanks to this cold.

Friday: RPM, of course! I rode 20 miles in 51 minutes, which is my typical pace, so apparently indoor workouts are okay on my lungs/breathing.

Saturday: I held a bake sale to raise money for my Reach the Beach team, so I spent the entire day baking. Literally, from 12:30 in the afternoon to 5 in the afternoon, I baked, and cleaned. So, I counted that as my workout for the day. I didn’t sit once in that 4 1/2 hours.

Sunday: I tried to run again yesterday. I had 9 miles on the agenda, but that definitely didn’t happen. I ran a measly 2.88 miles in 33 minutes. It was AWFUL. Windy, cold, coughing, breathing problems, you name it.

So, there you have it folks. Even through a head cold I got all of my #30for60 workouts in. I’m not sure what I’m going to do today, honestly. Maybe I’ll just go for a walk, or maybe I will do some stretching for a while. I will get something in, but it certainly won’t be strenuous.

How did everyone do  in the #30for60 Challenge last week?

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