Burn off the Bird 5K Race Recap

Dave and I arrived at the race with plenty of time to pick up our bibs and shirts, meet up with our friends Karisa, Frank, and Ashley, and utilize the indoor restrooms (race day gem)!  It was in the high 30s, which we were pretty pumped about since the forecast was calling for overnight lows in the 20s, and it was nice and sunny.  The wind was whipping but we just kept trying to remind ourselves that it could’ve been raining… or snowing!  The race included a long sleeve tech T, which I can definitely use more of, and the turkey on the front makes me giggle.

After a quick warm up in the parking lot, we headed to the starting line.  There was some confusion but before we knew it, we were off!  Dave and I decided to do our best, but we knew our lack of training meant we weren’t destined for any new PRs.  The first mile went by quickly and we were running faster than I expected.  Apparently we were feeling great, because the second mile was even faster!  There were some killer hills throughout the course, but running Valley Forge continues to pay off because we found ourselves passing multiple people up the inclines!
The third mile was definitely the hardest.  I really wasn’t feeling our pace anymore, but Dave kept pushing me to finish strong.  We were also following a dad pushing his two daughters in a stroller and let me tell you, both kids looked like they were pretty much pushing the size limits on that stroller, and I just kept thinking, if he can do this, so can I!  I knew that in a matter of minutes it would all be over and soon enough we were rounding a corner and could see the finish line.
We pushed ourselves hard on the last 0.1 and we finished!

Like I said, definitely not a PR, but we were super proud of our time and it was a great warm up for our postponed race next weekend!  We celebrated completing the race by having a big bacon filled brunch with Karisa and Frank, I couldn’t think of a better way to cap off the morning!
How did you burn off the bird this week?  Did you run any turkey themed races?

Giving Thanks

I am thankful for my good health.  Dave and I woke up and ran a chilly 2 miles on the trail behind our house.  I felt surprisingly good considering how much running I haven’t been doing lately.  The sun was shining and it was a great way to start the day.  We are doing a Burn off the Bird 5K on Saturday with some friends!

I am thankful for my plethora of friends.  Some I’ve known since elementary and middle school, others I just met this year, I am surrounded by a huge group of supportive, loving, hilarious, amazing people.  We attended two different Friendsgiving celebrations this season and my heart is full.

I am thankful for my family.  I love living with Dave, and Puddin’ perfectly completes our little family.  This turkey day we headed to Lancaster to spend the holiday with Dave’s family, it was kind of strange because it was my first Thanksgiving away from my family, but the food was delicious and I’m grateful that Dave’s family is so welcoming.  And our alternating schedule means we will spend Christmas Day with my family!

I am thankful for spandex pants, a perfect Thanksgiving stuff your face uniform.

I am thankful for my job, a roof over my head, and all the fortune in my life that I tend to take for granted.  Especially in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and with so many people still dealing with the effects of the storm, I am so grateful for all that I have and I need to remember how good I have it throughout the entire year.  I am spoiled.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!  Don’t forget to appreciate all your blessings today.

November Fitness Plans

So I'm sure you've noticed the lack of running updates on the blog recently... like I told you two weeks ago Dave and I were sick for almost two weeks, he's actually still rocking a cough.  And then the hurricane hit!  We were extremely fortunate during the storm.  We only lost power for a few hours, but my work didn't have power until Friday, so I spent the entire week in vacation mode hanging out with my neighbors watching movies in my pajamas with a cocktail in my hand.  Dave and I were starting to panic since the race was only days away and we hadn't run in weeks, so on Wednesday we forced ourselves to get out of the house and do something productive.

Yes we got our $2 burritos!  And please check out the creeper in the background.  We also went for a 4 mile run!  It involved quite a bit of walking, it didn't feel great, but we got out there and got it done.  A few days later we found out our race was postponed to Sunday, December 2nd due to the effects of the storm, so now we have an additional month to train!  I'm so glad we have extra time and a few of our friends who are signed up for the race had run into a scheduling conflict with the original date, so it actually worked out.  Now if I can just will myself to get out there and run in the winter conditions we're experiencing!  This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous so I need to force myself to take advantage.

In the meantime, Dave and I started the 100 push up challenge!  We even sucked our neighbor into joining us.  After doing the first day of the program, I was so sore, especially in my abs (which surprised me)!  It's getting easier already though, I'll keep you posted on my progress.  We're all using a free app on our phones which is awesome for tracking everything.  Thinking about adding some type of burpee challenge for my push up off days... maybe some burpees in tabata intervals?!  If you didn't know, tabata training is 20 seconds full out then 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes total.  Talk about a quick killer!

We are approaching an extremely indulgent part of the year and I don't know about you, but I want to look good at my holiday parties!  Time to recommit to fitness and make it a habit.  Let's do it!

What are you doing to avoid a holiday season fitness slump?

Going to the Chapel

When two of my best friends asked me to be in their weddings and I found out that they were back to back weekends, I wasn't so sure about all of it.  The expenses, scheduling the events on top of my already crazy schedule, and working with a ton of other bridesmaids... I knew it was going to be a bit overwhelming.  The bridal showers and bachelorettes both ended up back to back as well and there were certainly times when I thought, what have I gotten myself into?!  But in the end, it was all worth it.  Both weddings were so different from each other, but each was so special and moving and I was so glad to be a part of both.

Although I had a chance to post some of the pictures from Heather's wedding, I never got around to sharing Shayna's special day.  Better late than never, right?!

 

 

Yup, I caught the bouquet!  That lady isn't protecting herself from me jumping at her or anything...  Four weddings down, one to go!

Do you love weddings?  What's your favorite part?
I love busting a move, but the first kiss always gives me the chills!