My Thoughts on Monday....and time to get off my a**!

So Monday I was on FB and one of the pages I like had a status that said "Prayers for Boston." I immediately emailed Jen asking if we knew anyone there, you know, cause I slack at reading blogs apparently. She emailed me back about an hour later saying that Ward and some friends were, they were safe. My heart dropped. Thank god they were fine. They were safe. They were on their way home. Thank. God.

Then I sat glued to the TV for the next 3.5-4 hours. 

Terrible.

Horrible.

Horrific.

The line from Patton Oswalt's status message that night kinda sums it all up though:

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

Amen.

The support that Boston is getting has been amazing. The blogs, the runs happening for them, the fundraising to help these families...all just since Monday evening...is amazing. I have heard and read what some of you ladies (and gents) have been doing and its...awesome.

I keep saying I am going to get out there and get back to it. Every morning I say I want to go walking. Every morning I say "this is the day I am cutting out the crap." And I have yet to do it. I need to do it. 

I need to get off my ass and do something.

I guess for me, all you ladies and gents have inspired me. I know that seems weird but you did. You inspired me to get out there, prove to those losers that you can try to bring us down, you can hurt us but you won't win. We will get back up on our feet and we will continue to run. We will continue to race. We will continue to do what we love doing. 

This video brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful.

Full term!!!

Little Miss is full term as of today. So now it's just the waiting game to see how much activity will happen in the next couple weeks. 

I honestly think she is going to come out at 9+lbs and probably not until October. Shes dropping for sure. Everyday I look lower and lower and I can feel it. She still loves to sit her little butt in my rib cage though. Apparently that is her hang out. 

What I am looking forward to the most though is that come December, I will have the go ahead to start working out and running again. And I am REALLY excited about it. Like so much so its kinda lame!

So excited in fact that the above stroller is the only one I am purchasing. I won't be using it for awhile given the weather around here (and I just can't stand those stroller covers) but I will be breaking that out the minute its nice out. 

I know its going to be a hard road. I mean getting back into running is long and tiresome to begin with. Now let's add in having not been able to for 9 months and all the extra baby fluff. But I am bound and determined to do it! I am thinking I might do the St Paddy's Day 5k Walk this year too. N thinks I should do the run again with her but I don't know. What do you think? You think I'd be able to train that hard in 2 months? 

I miss it...

I miss the gym.

I miss running.

I miss putting in my headphones and just getting my workout in and feeling fantastic afterwards. 

I have been horribly sick the last 4 weeks. My Doc put me on Ensure because I haven't been able to keep anything in my system. My meals lately have consisted of chicken broth, Saltines, Ensure and some fruit. Nothing to really write home about. 

Hence why the cooking part of my blog has slacked. I miss cooking :( Other Chef has been doing all the cooking lately and I am totally grateful for that but I feel bad. 

Tonight its broccoli and cheddar soup. Let's hope that I can actually enjoy it!!

Featured Business for February: CHICKBANDS!!

I actually found Chickbands through Christina at The Athletarian and instantly fell in love. 

Kara is amazing. And not just because she makes awesome headbands, no. She is also one of the sweetest girls EVER. She will answer any questions you might have. She will do a custom order with you at any time. And she sends cute little notes with her bands :D 

Chickbands, for those that are unfamiliar, are nonslip headbands that are amazing for working out OR just out and about. 

Like these awesome sparkle ones (my absolute fave):

Or these thin bands:

Even college bands!

Totally own this one, sporting it right now!

She also makes adorable ones for kids! 

Bought this one for a friend of mines daughter..adorable! 

Such a great range of bands for anything you are interested in! 

How do you win one of these?? Well Kara is wanting THREE of you to win a band of your choice!!! Here's how:

1. Must be a follower of my blog. Comment that you are +1 entry

2. MUST like Chickbands FB page. Tell her I sent you! +1 entry

3. Comment below which band you would choose! +1 entry

4. Share this giveaway!! FB, Twitter, Blog. Comment below that you did! +1 entry per thing you do, share link!

This giveaway will go until March 2nd and will close at 9am. The winner will be chosen sometime that day! 

Good luck!!!! 

PureFit Bar Review

Like all the other awesome blogs I read, I too was given the chance to review PureFit Bars. Like the other awesome blogs I read, I was given the 5 sample bars. The flavors, I wasn't too enthused with but meh. You can't complain too much can you? 

The Granola Crunch I really enjoyed. It wasn't too crunchy either as the title would make you think. Definetly out of all 5, this one was my one of my top favorites. The Almond Crunch I tried next. Not bad at all. I am not a big fan of almond though so I would have to say this was at the bottom of my list. The Berry Almond Crunch, same thing, had almonds. BUT you could definetly taste the berry flavor vs the almond flavor so that was decent. The Chocolate Brownie was actually my least fave. Not entirely sure what it was but I just did not like it :( My most favorite however was Peanut Butter. Which is no surprise since I love any peanut butter nutrition bar :D While the flavors are decent tasting, the fact that there are only 5 flavors was kinda of a set back. BUT its like any other nutrition bar really. You find one flavor you like and you stick with it :D At least that is how it is for me :D

I love their 40/30/30 combination they have in each bar. 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat which is ideal for a working out body (consistent energy). I also love how each bar really does fill you up, unlike some competitors bars where you are hungry not even 20 minutes later. I ate each of these in the morning before my workout and I was set until my midmorning snack. Another score in my book. Definetly eat these with a lot of water! They are thick so drinking with water is definetly a good idea. I think that is something that surprised me the most. I guess I was expecting the consistency of a PowerBar and these ones definetly break off more in your mouth. Which is fine! Not a bad thing at all. Just a tad surprising when not expecting it :D These bars are also dairy, wheat and glutten free, no trans fat, artificial sweetners or hydrogenerated fats. Definetly a healthy choice.

If you choose to order on their website (link above if you missed it), use promo code PROMO25. You also save when you reorder. 1-3boxes are 34.35each (2.29/bar), 4-5 boxes are 32.00each (2.13/bar), 6-9 boxes are 30.00each (2.00/bar) and 10+ boxes are 28.00each (1.86/bar).

Enjoy!!! 


Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for my review. I was not required to give an honest review. These views are mine and mine alone.

Week in Review....

This week was definetly not at all what I was hoping BUT I only ran/walked 3 days this week. Here it is:

Monday: (walk/run) 25 min, 1.15 miles, 2.88MPH, 20:45pace

Tuesday: Weights for 1 hour

Wednesday: (walk/run) 26:35min, 1.39 miles, 3.14mph, 19:04pace

Thursday: Rest

Friday: walk/run 26:26min, 1.34miles, 3.06MPH, 19:34pace

Total: 3.88 miles

Wednesday was the best day for sure. I hope to see more days like that but with only more miles, obviously. 

I did get some awesome giveaways today :D My Wright Socks came in (love these things! So soft!!!) and my Asperis Shorts are here. You definetly need to do some lunges to get into these things!! I love em!! Can't wait to try them out tomorrow :D 

Gym Today...

N and I dragged, yes dragged, ourselves to the gym today. Our kids had off of school today so we were just not going to go. But we decided it would probably be best to go. 


It. Was. A. Madhouse! 


There were probably 15 kids in the "mom's room" and most of them were wondering around while people were trying to work out. Where were their parents you might wonder? Oh on the machines and gabbing, completely ignoring their kids. There was another kid there who kept getting into someone else's diaper bag and eating the food in there. Another that was throwing toys at people. Another that was climbing over the divider of the two rooms and then knocking people over. Same thing, Mom wasn't paying attention. Thank God for those headphones cause once they were in, I heard nothing. I think Little Man was a tad overwhelmed at first but he sat with N's daughter and kept out of the madness. Kinda felt bad for them :( 


Today's run was alright. I pushed myself. I felt my muscles start to get sore and I was like Nope, not stopping. This is part of running, DO IT. And I did. And again, felt great. Everything was lower today though and I noticed that after my rest days (so far) it normally is. So that will either change once I get further into the program OR I am just that slow. I am hoping its something that will change! Overall, it was a good workout. I feel great. It felt great. I loved it. And am actually excited to start the next week :D 


How was your workout today? What do you normally do on your rest days? Do you still do a light workout or are you lounging in jammies watching TV? 

Scentsy Winner!! and some races

So yes its 1030AM and I said I would pick a winner by 10AM but I just got back from being slaughtered at the gym by N. I mean not slaughtered...just killed. Jerk.

The winner of the Scentsy plug in warmer and three scents is....

#11 Jenn's Adventures with the comment

I tweeted your giveaway

Email me at soljerster AT gmail DOT com so we can discuss which warmer and scents you want :D

ALSO we are officially signed up for the St Paddy's Day run in Tacoma, just registered. OH YEAH!

I. Am. Going. To. Die.

We are also going to sign up as a group of 4 runners for this AWESOME fun time in Seattle:

The Color Run

Who WOULDN'T want to run this??? 

New Found Love... (for headphones)

I can't use the iPod ear buds, or any ear buds for that matter. Not the ones that you stick in your ear but like the ones that come with an iPod. They slide out of my ear or they give me ear pain. So I just avoid them at all costs.

I bought these Skullcandy ones to use with my iPods. Still earbuds but they actually fit IN your ear. The gel sizes can be replaced depending on the diameter of your ear. Walking on the treadmill, they are great. No slippage. They sit there nicely. Plus they are a cute color too :D (Used to have the hot pink ones but my cat decided that they were a "string" to play with and she sliced them in about 20 different places..ugh) One complaint about these is how long the cords are. And I find that on ANY headphones. Not sure why there is like a mile long cord on them but oh well! The other is that when you run, or move at other high speed, out they come. I am constantly having to fit them back into my ear as I am running. Not only that but I hear everything else around me. So while I am trying to jam out to Rammstein (which is some angry, loud music) I can hear someone else's conversation over that. So for workout use, not good I would say.

Other Chef is a big runner. Always has been, always will. So he invested in these Bose ones. I was using them this week at home because I left my Skullycandy ones at N's house with my iPod. These Bose ones...WOW. Well worth the 99$. That gel piece you see here:

Fit in the V part of your ear. It prevents slippage of ANY kind. I was not having to readjust them at any time for any reason. They also block outside noise out. N tried to get my attention a couple times and finally I had to take them out cause I was practically yelling "WHAT?!" when she was talking to me. The cord is still kinda long but there is a clip on the cords that you can clip them together. Overall, 10 out of 10 rating in my book.

Getting back into it...

So with the Snowpocalypse of 2012, the gym was completely shut down for a week. Not only that but they were actually being used a warming facility for the people on base with no power. So for a week there was no workout on my end. I was completely dreading the gym this week for that purpose. Figured I would be dragging.

Nope.

I actually did better on Monday then I did all the week before. My pace was better. My mileage was better. My MPH was better. I LOVED IT. N did amazing too! We both were feeling amazing leaving there. Who knew that some time off could actually BE beneficial? We are back into it with all speeds going though. I will say this though, I am sleeping much better then I did last week!!

Contemplating joining LA Fitness. Our facility is free so that kinda rocks. But the childcare area is just lame (N has a 1 year old we bring with us), we're always waiting for a machine, the machines are limited (2 treadmills in the "parent" area). LA Fitness is so nice and so many more machines, so many free classes, nicer childcare area, personal trainers. Just overall...better. I don't know though. We are going to go check it out sometime this week and then go from there.

What do you love about your gym? What classes do you take?

C25K Week 2

This week was alright. But not really. Thurs and Friday was really nothing to write home about since I had Charley Horses in both calves on Thursday and then all day Thursday into Friday I had soreness. So not cool. But this is what I logged:

Week 2:

Monday: 24:39 time, 1.35 miles, 3.30 mph, 18:08 mile pace

Tuesday: 28:02 time, 1.37 miles, 2.94mph, 20:23 mile pace

Wednesday: Rest Day

Thursday:  1.21 miles,

Friday: 30:01 time, 1.42 miles, 2.84 mph, 21:03 pace (mostly walking, 2 60 second runs)

Saturday: 30 minutes of Simple Yoga (DVD)

Total:  5.35 miles

Thursday I didn't get my pace because I ended up having to stop with the pain and then continue. The pace is what is killing me. ITS. SO. SLOW. My friend H runs races in Colorado and she told me not pay attention to the pace at first. Just get that 3.1 miles in AND THEN worry about pace. I guess watching N run, literally RUN, 2.5 miles each day compared to my mix of walking/running at not even 1.5 miles is just disheartening sometimes. But I keep telling myself that she is leaner then me, in better shape then me, etc. So I guess I can't compare. Just be proud of myself for actually doing it again! 

I will say that I hate running on the treadmill. Facing the same white wall. Having your distance, time and pace glaring up at you. Not cool. But running outside here right now is just not a go. At all. Its been snowing here since Sunday afternoon and is supposed to continue on into Wednesday. I am from Ohio so snow is nothing to me really. But for here, its major. Little Man's school is closed. The base is on minimum manning. All. Over. Three. Inches. Yes. Three inches. Expected to get 12 in the next 72 hours. We shall see!! The bad part is the gym me and N go to, is on base. So if the base is closed, the gym is closed. And if the gym is closed, that means yet another day of not working out. Guess my yoga DVD will be getting a workout! 

The Run That Wasn't Meant To Be....

Yesterday was a rest day for me. I just kinda hung out in my jammies, did laundry, read a book, played with Little Man...you know, the usual. This morning I got up, got dressed, got Little Man off to school and we hit the gym. I got on the treadmill to some awesome tunes and finished a 5k in 14.5 minutes.

Yeah. Right.

What really happened is this...I did get dressed and got Little Man off to school. N and I did hit up the gym. I got on there, hit it at 3.0 for walking and off I went. 5 minutes went by and I started my first run at 4.6. So not really a run, more like a jog. But hey, taking this slow people! (Don't judge me :-P) Midway through my 90 second run, I feel my calves start tightening. I am thinking Oh heck...no. By the time the 90 seconds are up, my calf muscles feel like lead balls on the back of my legs. I had to get off the machine and stretch out my legs, all the while in pain. I finally got the pain down to a dull and got back on. I spent the next 20 minutes just walking and stretching out my legs. :( I managed to get 1.21 miles in today but ugh. It was not a good day. So tomorrow I am going to try again. Not cool. 

Have you ever had a pain that stopped you from completing a run/workout? How frustrated do you get? What do you do to help ease the pain? 

Few Things I am Learning While at the Gym

So I have been going to the gym steadily for the last two weeks and I have noticed a few things...

1. I completely hate the New Years Resolution people who will give up in a couple weeks. I really do. The gym I go to is on base and its normally really quiet. As of the first though, oh no. Its packed NONSTOP with people. And its irritating. Like yesterday for example, someone came in and sat on an exercise ball for 40 minutes and talked on her phone. Meanwhile there are people waiting to use machines and equipment. Someone obviously lied to this woman and told her you could gain muscle tone by osmosis. Apparently, me and N are doing this all wrong. We could be sitting at home and get all the training we need!

2. I check out everyones shoes. Seriously. When someone walks in, I instantly check out their shoes. Not sure why but I do. Its typically the Nike or Adidas. I have yet to see a pair of Brooks or Saucony in there. I did see a really cool pair of silver and line green Sketchers up in there. Thought those were kinda cool.

3. I am extremely self conscious while running! Am I breathing too loud? Do I sound like an elephant on the treadmill? Is my form okay? Do I look like a moron running? I can't run near a mirror. I just can't. I would see stuff bouncing around that shouldn't be. Not too appealing to me I don't think.

4. N is a BEAST. She runs faster and more. And this is coming from the woman who is all like "I hate running, grrr." Yeah umm okay. Not sure why since you are OWNING it. Think I might have to trip her during this 5k so she doesn't make me look bad.


KIDDING OF COURSE!!


What are some things you notice yourself doing while working out with others?

First C25K Week in Review

So last week was week one of me and N doing the C25K program. I love it. Its really small baby steps getting back into running and that is awesome. I was just trying to jump start back into it and that just isn't happening. I used to be a "for fun" runner way before I had my son so for me, its just getting back into it. I am wading in the kiddie pool right now. For N though, this is major. She hates running. She will say it loud and proud...she HATES running. Yet yesterday afternoon I get a text from her and I kid you not...this is what it says:

"I can't wait to go running tomorrow. I am so excited!" 

No joke. This is huge and major. And I love it. I love that she is there for me every step of the way. I love that she is my own little cheerleader. And I love that she is really excited to get into this. We are running the St Paddy's Day 5k downtown this year. It's going to be a huge accomplishment for both. But I can tell you this. I am going to be SO proud when N crosses that finish lane.

This week was nothing major. In fact, I only hit the gym twice this week. I did end up spending all day Saturday in Seattle walking around so that added some distance this week. I am being extremely hard on myself. My pace and my average time is just horrible. But I also know I can't go into this sprinting. I really want to get back into it and love it. Not hate life because running is killing me.

Week 1:

Tuesday- 23:53 time, 1.19 miles, 3:00 average speed, 19:59 mile pace

Thursday- 24:02 time, 1.20 miles, 3.02 average speed, 19:50/mile

Saturday- .4 miles

Total: 2.79 miles

Pathetic I know. But I am trying!!! This week we are doing 4 days a week, rest day will be Wednesday. Today my pace was less by a whole minute and I actually got really excited about it. I also went .50 further today too :D Baby steps people. Baby steps. 

Need the "must have" running tunes!!!

So my readers know that my computer died. Had to be replaced.

What my readers don't know is that my external hard drive hasn't been hooked up in almost 3 years.

Or that my iTunes is now completely brand new.

Which means I almost lost about a grand worth of music.

I say ALMOST because this time I was smart enough to move it to my iPod. I think I had this impending feel of doom and that is what made me decide to it. Mind you, this was THREE years worth of music I have downloaded.

Three days after I did this...computer died.

Epic. Sad. Face.

So with me getting back into running, I need tunes. I used to have an iPod Nano but I sold it when I got my Classic. Now...anyone who has a classic can attest that this thing is MASSIVELY huge and heavy. I didn't even think that I could use an armband with it. I just figured it was too big. Yeah I was wrong! You CAN use an armband with this hunk of metal. (And I strongly advice it because running with it in your front pocket of your jacket is really really really dumb. Not only will you get an iPod bruise on your hip/leg BUT you run the risk of it flying out of your unzipped pocket and hitting the ground WHILE ripping your earbuds out of your ears. True Story.) So I checked the prices at Target one day and was like Umm...no. The armband was 30$ but an iPod Shuffle is only 46$? And I can clip it onto my shirt?? WHAT?!? Since when were the iPod Shuffles under 100$?? Can you tell I do NOT keep up with Apple prices in the slighest?

Ain't it cute? (Ignore the extremely unfeminine hand and the crap on the floor...this is Other Chef's truck.

Now I am sure that I can somehow move my music from my Classic to my new iTunes and onto my Shuffle but dear God, that sounds like a heck of a lot of work. Not to mention that Other Chef came back from a deployment with 3 500GB externals filled with music. So help me fill this thing up with the "must haves" of working out!!

Running Divas Review and Giveaway!!

So I got my computer the other day...back joining the land of the interwebz. Honestly, you never really realize how much you miss having your own computer until you are having to share. Sucks. Majorly.

Thanksgiving came and went, man was it a good time (I will post about that in a seperate post). Day before Thanksgiving though...I got a box in the mail. It was from Running Divas who was kind enough to send me some items to giveaway!!

I took the items out of the box and was instantly impressed with how lightweight AND soft they were. Seriously. I have never felt something this soft before (without using a ton of fabric softener and then you run the risk of feeling that nasty softener feel...yuck). The other thing that caught my eye was how cute the sayings were. The long sleeve brown tee says "Mile after Mile after Mile, etc" all the way down the side and on the back it says "Marathon is a concept by which we measure pain". And the cool thing about the sayings is that you can customize it. Anything you want on any piece of clothing, you can get. How cool is that?  Marc and Aeron did a great job with these items and I can't wait to share them with you!

These are the two pieces that I am giving away:

You know you want them! The back of the tank says "its who we are its what we do"

Here's what you do!!

1. Follow my blog and comment that you did! (1 entry)

2. Follow Running Divas Facebook Page and comment that you did, tell them I sent you!(1 entry)

3. Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook or by Twitter (possible 3 entries) and comment you did.

Make sure you do one comment for each thing that you do!! Thanks!

This giveaway will close on the 9th at 10AM. Will mail the item priority! I will be using Random.org to pick a winner!!

Good luck and I can't wait to see who the winner is!!!