Really Late Night Three Things Thursday

1. Weighed in and I gained weight and I am PISSED OFF. That being said this is my fault, and I am going to get this under control. I can even pin point why it happened. My eating has SUCKED, and I haven't been journalling as I need to be. I am going to weigh in again next Saturday May 7th and there will be a loss.

2. I got some miles in on the very muggy Monday, and again today on the treadmill. I like feeling like I am back on track. I will run again this weekend when Bella runs in her first 5K, she is so excited and I couldn't be prouder.

3. Check out this video.. it's HILARIOUS!

Wordless Wednesday

From Easter

Jelly Bean 10K Race Report

Friday morning after teaching my Zumba class, I ran the Jelly Bean Virtual Race. First things first, I forgot to bring my bib with me, so I took a picture of it, hope that's enough. 

Bella left her crayons out and I couldn't resist

K surprised me and joined me for the run. I knew this run was going to be a little more challenging, I had just finished teaching my class, it was hot. I started out feeling awesome and I was ready to go. We were trotting along, catching up, it was nice to have company but I kept thinking that I totally would have been able to finish this on my own without K. I prefer to run with someone but it felt good to finally feel confident enough to run on my own if need be. I was having a great time and then all of a sudden I felt moved to yell out a "woohoo Jelly Bean". That just started something that would follow us the rest of the run. Every once in a while, both K and I would yell out "Jelly Bean" in celebration of the Jelly Bean race. 

So, I had some foot pain. Foot pain, you ask? Yes, it was on the top of my left foot, and it started right before we hit mile 3 and it seemed to go away after I walked for a bit. So I got off my interval plan for a little while. It was the most random pain and I wish I could pin point exactly what caused it. Now, it seems to be ok, but we won't know for sure until I run on it again. More than anything, it was just aggravating because I wanted to get this 10K done as quickly as possible. That being said, I was glad that I got it done and even with the foot pain, had a wonderful time doing it.

Awful finish time, but I had a great time.

Sweaty and done! 

Just putting it all out there.

Zumba Songs

Just because I thought it's be fun, I'm posting some of the songs that I am using in this morning's Zumba class. I am actually set to record the choreography this weekend, I'll post some songs.

Earworms

Not running, health or fitness related at all. I mentioned a few days ago that I had the Biebs stuck in my head, and today it's that AWFUL Friday song by Rebecca Black. It seems that lately I have had a lot of these earworms. Even when I was practicing for my Zumba class earlier today, I would randomly start thinking of the Friday song and get distracted. I need a remedy, and quick. Any suggestions? Have you had an particularly awful earworms lately?

Off to sing that stupid song to myself...

"It's Friday, Friday gotta get down on Friday..."

I May Have Set A Precedent

If you saw Friday's post where I talked about dressing in regular non work out clothes, well, I extended that streak into Saturday and Sunday. I am afraid that I might have set a precedent of dressing in regular clothes, what next?! I even wore makeup to my sister in law's baby shower on Saturday. I may have set a precedent for dressing in non workout clothes post workout on the weekends.

So, remember how I said I had 6 miles planned for Saturday. Well, that didn't happen but don't worry not all was lost, I managed to get 6 in on Sunday.  I ended up joining K on the tready for a walk then a little core work. I was under a bit of a time crunch because I overslept, and had to get home to get ready for the baby shower. I decided that taking a shower and dressing up was probably the right thing to do and I bet everyone probably appreciated that too.

Someone at the party gave Bella some glow necklaces... why? I have no clue.

Sunday morning, I got up and had a little mental battle with myself about getting out there and getting the 6 miles in. I got dressed, got my ipod and headed out to the lake. The set out and I didn't even have to play any games with myself to push, well, at least not for the first 3 miles. The next two miles seemed to oscillate between feeling great, and having to find landmarks to run just to keep running. The final mile felt great, and I was chugging along nicely. Although, I did get run down my possibly the sweetest dog ever. Her owner was taking her in and had just taken her off the leash, and she spotted me, and ran over to kill me with love. So, I stopped, chatted with the owner, and played with my new fur buddy for a minute. I wish had asked to take a picture of the dog, because she was adorable.

So, as I look back at the run, I can say a few things about it. I am more than capable of running on my own, and I proved that to myself this past week. I am glad that I got out there and got the miles in even though my warm bed's siren call almost won. Even though, I had to battle a little during a few of those miles, I kept thinking that I am very capable of doing this training and the actual marathon on my own. That being said, I would rather be doing this with a partner but unless I find one, it's going to be a solo effort.

The rest of Sunday consisted of hanging out with the family, and then going to Groove. I could think of worse ways to spend an afternoon. Then yesterday, I walked two miles with K and we did our strength training as well. I was pretty spent because I didn't get much sleep the night before so I decided that I wasn't going to Zumba in the evening. I regret not going but I am glad I got to hang out with Patrick last night, so not all was lost.

Fab Friday

After I taught my Zumba class this morning, I ran a few errands. After all those fun and games, I thought I owed it to society to run home and take a shower. My apologies to any and all who had to smell my stink at Babies R Us and Target earlier today. Anyways, I actually fixed my hair and put on real clothes, yes you read that right... real clothes. No gym clothes this afternoon for this girl. I even have photographic proof. It was a bang up day for me, I didn't dress like gym rat or a bum, I did my nails...that's major in Lucy Land. Pretty FABULOUS way to spend a Friday!

So, I have a confession. I've had a fever today, yup, a bad case of the Bieber Fever. It shames me to even write it but darn it, my fellow Canuck has been stuck in my head all day. I've had "Somebody To Love" stuck in my head all friggin' day. I found myself singing it to myself in the shower, in the car line at B's school, around the house. Darn you Biebs!!!!

I've got 6 miles planned for tomorrow, and it's going to have to be a treadmill run... wish me luck. After that, I have my sister in law's baby shower, and guess what I might dress in something other than gym clothes but I can't make any promises.

I'll leave you with possibly the one of the 90's greatest wordsmiths. LOL He was cooking MC's like a pound of bacon.

I've Had A Nagging Feeling

So, for the last little while I've had this nagging feeling that I needed to do something. I've hemmed and hawed about it for a while, and I even said that I would wait to do this another time. I have decided that I really can't wait any more. I am going to throw caution to the wind and sign up for my first full marathon.

Let's look at the pros and cons

Pro

- I get to add a 26.2 sticker to my car and join the marathon cool kids club
- I think that marathoners are totally BAD A**
- I need goals, BIG GOALS
- I can get the satisfaction of saying that I ran a full marathon
- It's crazy
- It's one heck of a mental and physical challenge

Cons

- It's one heck of a mental and physical challenge
- It's crazy
- 26.2 miles is a long way to go
- I'm so slow that when I cross the finish, chances are they will be dismantling it all
- It's not 26.2 miles worth of Zumba, it's 26.2 miles of running
- Did I mention the part about the 26.2 miles?
- Chances are pretty good that I will be doing this puppy by myself, that goes for most of the training as well.

So, as soon as I can spend the money on it, I will be signing myself up for the Savannah Rock N' Roll Marathon. I've always wanted to go to Savannah, I've lived in Georgia for 7 years and have yet to go, so this is a perfect excuse to go. Granted, this is a crazy excuse for a trip but we'll go with it. Also, given the amount of time I have to prep, save etc., I am going to take Patrick and possibly Bella with me as well. So there you have it. I have officially gone back to that place we all know that I love dearly... CRAZY TOWN. This also means that I the miles I have logged this week are officially the first week of marathon training. I am going to be getting in touch with a running coach over the next few days because I know that I am going to have to splurge and get some outside professional help.

So, if all goes according to plan I will add one of these to my car.

Also, I think that I am going to sign up for 13.1 Atlanta on October 2nd. It's in town, I am in need of more bling, so it makes perfect sense. It should be good weather, it's a great place to run, and did I mention more bling?

Back On Track

I am finally back on track, as of today I have logged 7 miles, nothing monumental but more than I have logged in a single week in a long time because I've been such a lazy mess. So, I downloaded the Runner's World Smart Coach App for my phone and set out a training plan. It asks for a race date and length, so I used the Girls On The Run 5K at the end of the month as my race date and length. I may not run the apps pace on race day because I am doing it with Bella but I have a plan set out which is what I needed. Plus, it seems like I may have lost my running partner, K is really busy with work and seems to have lost her running motivation. I love her dearly but I can't go down that road, already I feel like I've lost most of the endurance that I had built up for the half and I can't move backwards. Plus, when I wasn't running, I was really and truly a grumpy b*tch... not good at all. I really don't like non running Lucy, she's just not a cool chick.

Monday called for a 2 mile easy run, so I drove to the lake and got it done. I set my gymboss to 4/1 intervals, and I didn't do that well sticking to the plan but I did run more than I walked. I was just happy to be outside and getting back to it, plus I enjoyed my kickin' tunes too. The only funny thing about Monday's run was the outfit. A few months ago, I bought some CEP progressive compression socks but sadly my calves were still too big for even the biggest sized sock. Anyways, I rocked those bad boys on Monday's run and it was quite the look when paired with my capri tights, please try not to be jealous that you couldn't look that cool too. LOL Then, in the evening I went to Groove to check out the program's new release. Want to check it out? Click here 

Not a good look but my legs felt great.

Tuesday, I got my weight training in on my own because Amy is recovering from her surgery and K was working. I also went to Zumba but really didn't work that hard but that is no one's fault but my own, it was fun regardless. Then last night, I signed up for The Jelly Bean Virtual Race today, and I signed up for the 10K. This is my first virtual race and my first 10K. Can you believe that this is my first 10K? I have finished a half but not a 10K... who does that?!

You can register here 

Wednesday's plan called for a 5 mile run with some speed work. I ditched the speed work, I know bad call on my part but I have a class to teach that night so I needed to be on point and not totally exhausted. Plus, honestly, I am intimidated by the words speed work. Anyhow, I set out and changed my intervals on the gymboss. For the first time, I set it to 3/2 intervals, after the first few, I decided that a 2 minute walk interval is a little too long for me, I'm setting it to either 1 min or 1:30 mins for the walk next time. Alright, this was an interesting adventure. First of all, this was my first run that was over 4 miles without K, and I was a little wigged out about it. From a companionship standpoint but also from a safety standpoint, because I just feel more comfortable having someone else with me. At the first mile marker, I realized that I had to go pee and the nearest toilet was still about a mile and a half away... not good. The run to the toilet fluctuated between speeding up to get there faster and slowing WAY down so I wouldn't pee my pants. Here's the kicker, I went to the bathroom right before I started, STUPID BLADDER. Then right around 1.5 miles, I entered a part of the golf cart paths that I lovingly refer to as Creeper Woods. This is a stretch that has no homes or stores that back up to the paths, it's just a whole lot of nature and it always makes me think that there are creepy dudes hiding behind the trees there just waiting to jump the next person that comes by. Not rational, but it's just the feeling it gives me. As soon as I started to get close to Creeper Woods, I pulled out my cell and took my ear buds out so I could hear any possible creepers. As soon as I was out of Creeper Woods, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, not just because I felt safer but because I was incredibly close to the bathroom, I made my pit stop and got back to it. It works out nicely because the Kroger supermarket where I went to the bathroom is the 2.5 mile mark, so turning back would make it an even 5 miles. On the way back through Creeper Woods, I tried to hustle through because I wanted out. The second half of the run was fairly uneventful, I just kept playing some games with myself so that I would avoid the urge to walk before it was time. I would pick a spot on the trail and aim to get there, once there I would find a new target and so it went the entire way back. It was a slow one but I felt great and loved the sense of accomplishment of finishing the run on my own.

Great Urban Race Atlanta 2011

When I was getting ready Saturday morning, I had no idea exactly what I had in store for my friend Kareen and I's adventure doing the Great Urban Race. We met up and made the drive to downtown Atlanta's Sidebar where the race was to start. We picked up our tees and numbers, adjusted our tiaras, got our finger mustaches drawn and had a lot of fun looking at all the incredible costumes. Before the race even started, Kareen and I were already talking about costumes for next year.

Who are these girls with those clever disguises?

We received our clues and the race started. We sat down and tried to come up with a game plan. It would have been a lot better had I not messed up and sent us on a wild goose chase to finish one of the clues. We wasted an hour but it didn't matter because it was hilarious and we were having a great time. We even stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get a bite to eat and re-work the game plan.

This was one of the photos we had to take... they seemed confused as to why we wanted this picture

Once we figured out a plan to get us back on track we were off, but we had to stop and take a few pictures along the way. Also, on our way to the Fox Theatre for one of the clues we got to experience something that I never thought I'd see. We were walking along and minding our own business when we heard someone yell out "shoot him, shoot him, he has a knife", which obviously scared the snot out of us. What ensued was two homeless men fighting and then taking the fight to the middle of one of Atlanta's busiest streets. There was no way we were going to stick around and watch the whole thing unfurl but we did see enough of it to make it clear that this day was going to be unforgettable.

We made it to the Fox, and continued to finish up a few other clues that were close by. One of the things that we had to get was a paper job application. When we stopped to take the picture below, Kareen asked the people at a food stand if they had paper job applications. The gentleman that owns the store pictured in the back, said he had some and I followed him to get it. Well, he couldn't find one and I was in the store for a bit while he looked. When I came back out, Kareen said that she was worried that I had been kidnapped or chopped up or something. Love that she didn't come looking for me and that her excuse was that someone would have to tell the story. LOL 

We continued, and hopped on the MARTA to get to the next clue. We waited so long for the subway train that we could have walked to where we needed to be and gotten there faster. We got a lot of odd looks and a lot of questions at the station and on the train. I can only imagine the looks and questions that the people who had the super crazy costumes. We made our way to Ri Ra Irish Pub to do a little jig and on our way out, someone stopped us to ask us about the race. His drunky pants girlfriend wanted to take a picture with us, and we obliged. When she went to put her arm around me she slapped the crap out of me. I was laughing but she was near tears about it, she offered to buy me a drink and I took her up on it. So we sat at the bar with our new friend Miss Drunky Slappy Pants and looked at our clues and looked at the time. We came to the conclusion, after sitting at the bar for a while that there was no way we were going to be able to finish it all, so we enjoyed our drinks and decided to finish one more clue and head back to Sidebar.

The back of our awesome shirts

Thank goodness we left when we did because we barely made it back to Sidebar in time. According to the official results we weren't last but eek, it wasn't good. Oh well, we had a ton of fun, a ton of laughs and some funny stories from the day. While we sat at the bar we came up with a plan for next year, want to hear it? First and foremost our costumes will incorporate tutus because as we all know everything is better with a tutu. Secondly, we are going to come up with a better game plan. We threw around the idea of having our husbands participate as a team as well.

Stick A Fork In Me...

I'm done. I taught me Zumba class this morning and it completely killed me. I'm not quite sure why this class was so rough on me, but I can barely keep my eyes open this afternoon. Then to make this an extra awesome day my car started acting up... seriously this car is going to make me insane. I'm done, I am checking out for the rest of the day and I know that tomorrow will be a much better day. 

The bright note of today was that Sarah came to my class today and she had some super sweet things to say about my teaching. Then after class we went to Cracker Barrel, and I ordered some pancakes because as we all know, this girl loves pancakes. I am sure that it is written somewhere that a perfect post workout meal involves pancakes. LOL 

Knock Out Cancer 5K Race Report

On Saturday morning, I made the hour long trek from Peachtree City to Marietta (a suburb north of Atlanta) to participate in the Knock Out Cancer 5K. I met Karen and her husband there, we got our numbers and got ready to race. Sadly, I forgot my camera and didn't think to take pics with my cell, my head was somewhere else that morning... mainly, I was thinking about the freedom I had that day because Patrick was working and Patrick's aunt took Bella for the entire day. What's a girl to do with an entire Saturday to herself?! Anyways, we lined up, the race started and we were off like a herd of turtles. I didn't go into this race thinking that I would get a PR or that it would be some rockstar sort of race, because my running since the half has been a mess. I actually figured that I would end up running by myself, so I brought my ipod and had prepped myself for a good time. I only had one issue the whole race, it was my capris. I love these pants but the elastic at the bottom is stretched out now and they ride up, I could not fiddle with the pants the whole race so I just hiked them up and went with it. Karen and I started out together and somewhere less than a mile into it she took off, and it was all good because I was sticking to my plan, waiting for my gymboss to beep and listening to my tunes. I was trotting along albeit slowly but I was doing the damn thing. I noticed that every time I passed this one girl, she would speed up and got in front of me, I knew she had picked me as a target. Now, it was funny at first, then it just pissed me off. She and I went back and forth like this the whole way, until started getting close to mile 3. Right before we hit mile 3, I pushed because there was no way in hell that she was going to finish before me. She met my pace and was trying for a push, so there was only one thing to do then... I kicked it into high gear and left her ass in the dust. I guess it must have been pretty cool because I got all kinds of high fives and cheers after the fact. I think there might be some speed in these legs, now I have to work on tapping into that speed. So my time was 46:02, not even close to my best time but my next 5K on my own will be a PR. I say this because my next 5K is Girls On The Run with Bella so I highly doubt there will be a PR. 

Here are some pics from the even, but none are very flattering. I did notice that I might have to work on my form and my running face. I need to work on getting cute race pics. Isn't that everyone's priority?

Something was distracting me...probably something shiny or a unicorn.

I am pretty sure that I was telling myself that there were cupcakes at the finish.

For those of you wondering what I did with the rest of my free Saturday... you'll be totally shocked when you read this. I went to a Zumba fundraiser... I know that's so unlike me LOL. It was pretty cool and for a great cause. Then I went to enjoy a little Mexican food with my Zumba buds afterwards, not a bad way to spend a Saturday.