A Pre-Valentine's Day Treat for Me!

I am a complete believer in treating yourself from time to time, and find it most appropriate on birthdays (both half and whole,) Valentine's Day & any other day that means something significant to you!

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When I decided that I wanted to run the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC (and it happened to be remotely close to Valentine's Day,) I thought this would be the perfect little gift to myself!

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I immediately started working on it! Though I did have to get a few things in order, like having someone to go with/a place to stay (Yay, Marcia!) and getting the a-okay for missing work and school, everything fell right into place. Yesterday, I decided to go for it and sign up for the race. It was super easy and took just a few minutes.

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I also picked out my outfit! Remember that Ke$ha tank that I thought about buying for my Disney trip in a few weeks? For this occasion, I couldn't resist it!

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I decided to pair it with a pair of Victoria's Secret Knockout Capris in bubble gum pink with black polka dots. I've never had a pair of these, but I'm excited to give them a try! Here they are in black with white polka dots.

 

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I'm fairly sure this will be my favorite running outfit yet!

 

Though I support rewarding yourself anyway, this treat is extra sweet because it's also good for me. I do have to run six miles and get over a bridge after all! The fact that it's in Charleston, and that I'll probably do quite a bit of shopping and excellent eating is just an added bonus!

 

How do you plan to treat yourself this Valentine's Day?

 

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As always, Have a Sweet Day!

I Joined a Gym!

For those of you that follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that last Sunday afternoon, I decided to join a nearby gym. My first gym membership ever! 

Don't get me a wrong, I was a member of the YMCA in high school, where my friends and I went to hang out and get on the elliptical, but it was only for a short time and my parents paid for it.

 Then there's my membership to the gyms on campus. As a staff member, one of our perks is to have access to the on-campus gyms for super cheap, I'm talking $4/month! Sounds fab right? The only downfall is that the gyms function on a student schedule, so when students aren't here, and work is slow (i.e. Melody is going out of her mind with boredom,) these facilities are closed... thus completely defeating the purpose of paying $50/year to go! 

This past Saturday, I felt like the only person in town. I couldn't find the motivation to do anything, and even when I did have the desire to get to the gym and run, I couldn't because they're closed until January 13th! With a half-marathon less than 7 weeks away, and the Boone temps not getting any warmer, this was so frustrating! I decided right then and there that I was going to do something about it.

I started researching, something I always do before making a big decision, and the Wellness Center in town was the first place that came to mind! My friend Danielle had recently joined, and I had only heard great things. The Wellness Center works alongside the Boone hospital, with all types of physical therapy accommodations, but also functions as a gym for those that want to join. I like it because it's super nice, clean and I don't have to fight the masses of Appalachian to take a class, or get on a treadmill. Plus, deciding to join here, along with so many other permanent Boone residents gives me more stability. I feel like I'm actually putting down roots in a place that I'll be living at least for the next year and a half.

On Sunday afternoon, I marched in (having never been inside before,) and asked for a tour. They obliged, and guided myself and another lady around the building. She didn't have much to say, but I asked enough questions for the both of us. I wanted to know exactly why paying $52/month (the membership to join as one) was worth it! I love that they open at 5:30AM, are a quick two-minute drive from my apartment and offer a ton of classes! By the end, I was feeling super confident, and after finding out that setting up a direct draft from my bank account each month wiped the $60 joining fee, they were talking my language!

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I officially belong to a gym! Yeee!

I even got up yesterday, on the first day of my new job at ASU, and made it to the gym by 6:10AM. I couldn't believe that there was already a whole parking lot full of people there! It felt so good to leave at 7, knowing that my workout for the day was already done. 

Though I didn't get out this morning, with temperatures well into the negative, Danielle and I are going this evening to workout and maybe even take a class! No one else is going to get me ready for my impending half-marathon, or bikini season but me!…and just in case you're interested, here are my workouts from yesterday morning, along with a 1.5 mile run!

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Have you been upping your fitness in the new year? 

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As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Running My First 10K!

I'm still in complete disbelief that I ran my first 10K on Saturday!

I had goosebumps the whole time because I couldn't believe I was truly running six miles right beside the Oak Island Lighthouse in Oak Island, North Carolina!

Though I'd been trying my best to follow Hal Higdon's 10K training schedule, craziness at work had made that a little more difficult than usual. For my last week of training (week 8), I decided to take it easy in the beginning of the week, so I could rest up for Saturday.

Monday: Ran 3 miles on the treadmill/weights & abs + personal training for one hour

Tuesday: Ran 4 miles outside

Wednesday & Thursday: Rest Days

Friday: Travel day

Saturday: 10K at 8:10AM!

I am so so lucky to have parents that would make this trip to Oak Island with me. We had the best time visiting this new place. It felt like we were on a mini vacation!

We arrived Friday evening around 5PM, and right after checking into our hotel, headed to the Chamber Welcome & Conference Center in Southport to pick up my race packet. This included my racing bib, t-shirt and a few other things from the race sponsors. Everyone there was so nice, and it made me super excited to run the next day!

For dinner on Friday, we threw around a couple ideas, but decided to try a local favorite, The Provisions Co. in Southport. I had been there years ago, but it was my parents first time going.

We enjoyed steamed shrimp, delicious crab cakes, homemade onion rings, and a hamburger fresh off the grill, while taking in the beautiful views (since Provisions is right on the water)!

 

After dinner, we'd saved just enough room for some ice cream at Flava's, the ice cream and t-shirt shop just across the street. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful evening.

We woke up bright and early Saturday morning to get ready for the race! Since it started at 8:10, and we wanted to get there early (something we learned from my first 5K experience,) I ended up setting my alarm for 5AM! Seriously, so early!

I loved my outfit for this race, and was so excited to finally put it on! 

I wore a Kiss My Southern Sass tank that said "Bless Your Heart and the USA," along with a large red bow for my hair, and black Nike shorts.

On the back of my shirt, I made a sign out of blue cardstock paper and foam letters to honor those in Boston following the Boston Marathon bombings.

It was a rainy morning in Oak Island, but thank goodness it stopped right before my race started! I ended up wearing my dad's hat to keep my head dry, and had on my rain coat until the last second. Since the tank top I was wearing wasn't dri fit material, I wanted to stay as dry as possible before I ran.

 Waiting in the corral as they counted down our start!

 Ready, set, go!

 Running those six miles after five months of hard work felt so so good! I think I smiled the entire time because I was so happy to be there accomplishing a goal that I'd set for myself.

My view during mile 5!

When I saw the marker saying I only had one mile left, I swear I could have sprinted the whole way from excitement, but instead, I decided to keep a good pace and save it all for the end.

When I came through the entrance of the NC Baptist Assembly and saw my parents standing at the finish line, I gave it all I had. What an amazing feeling!

I officially crossed the finish line at 58:12:00! 

I have to admit I shed a few tears from pure joy in that moment. I accomplished something that I never though I could. I ran six miles in under an hour without stopping.

Amazing. 

Little did I know, I also placed second in the 19-24 female age group for the 10K, and will be receiving an award!!! There's seriously no better feeling!

Thank you so much for your continued support and kind words!
Maybe next year, I'll go back and run the half-marathon! The sky's the limit!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

My Fitness Wishlist!

This Easter, as I continue to get ready for my 10K race at Oak Island, I've got fitness on the brain!

Here are few items that I'd love to have:

Melody's Fitness Wishlist! by melodycmiller on Polyvore

Monogrammed Yoga Mat: Doing exercises using a blanket on the floor is a little less than desirable. This yoga mat would solve all of my problems and look super cute at the same time!
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Running Watch: This adorable pink watch would be the perfect accessory for my long runs outside this spring and summer. It calculates your time, distance, calories burned and pace.
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Weights: I'd love to have two-10 lb weights of my own. This would make exercises at home even more beneficial.

Kettlebell: I've learned quite a few kettlebell exercises during my personal training sessions each week, and I'd love to have one for myself to use at home! A 6 lb kettlebell would serve that purpose just fine!

What's on your fitness wishlist?

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

The Color Run: Tips, Likes & Dislikes

As you all know, last Saturday morning, I ran my first 5K ever!

Most people have some idea as to how a 5K usually goes, whether they ran cross-country in high school, or have at least attended a race like this. Having done neither of those, when I jumped in the car on Saturday morning ready to go run, I had no idea what to expect! 

Here are my tips, likes and dislikes about The Color Run 2013:

Tips

-Get to the race location early! 

This is probably a given, but we left in time to get there 30 minutes early, and still barely made it because of the crazy traffic.

-Eat a little something

I need to have something on my stomach before I try to run three miles, but I forgot about this the morning before the race. With only Pop Tarts and Honey Buns laying around the house, I was forced to run on a few bites of a not-so-tasty protein bar. 

-Wear sunglasses!

I knew I was going to being showered with color throughout the race, but I had no idea it would cover every part of my body. I grabbed a pair of fun heart sunglasses as we ran out the door, and they truly saved my eyes. There were times that I couldn't even see through a cloud of color!

Likes

-Getting a t-shirt

I know this is standard with most races, but I loved being able to wear my Color Run t-shirt to personal training the next day, and be proud of what I had accomplished!

-The pre-race excitement

For this race, everyone was wearing crazy socks, tutus, & glasses. Some people got really creative! This, paired with the high-energy announcers and music at the starting line got my adrenaline pumping. I was bursting with excitement by the time we started.

Dislikes

-No mile markers

The Color Run is a 100% fun environment, so they choose not to time the race at all, but it would've been helpful to see a 1, 2, and 3-mile marker. Without these, you had no idea how far you'd gone and how much distance you had left.

-Designated areas for walkers/runner

When we made it to what seemed like the half-way point of the race, the majority of the participants were walking. Some had strollers, others were taking pictures or stopping to enjoy water breaks. For Samantha and I, who had planned to run the whole time, this was difficult to navigate around. I would've liked for The Color Run to have designated areas or sides for walkers/runners. This would really help those planning on running the whole course.

-An exciting finish

Crossing the finish line of my first 5K race was a huge moment for me! If you'd told me four months ago that I'd be running a 3.1 mile race, I would've said you were crazy! It was a bit of a let down to have no one cheering or anything at the finish. I remember crossing the finish line, and then walking into a crowd of people just standing there. Next time, I hope this will be organized a little better.

All in all, I had the most fabulous time at my first 5K race! There are always going to be things that you wish were a little different, which gives me the perfect amount of fuel I need to run my next one, a 10K in Oak Island, North Carolina.

I would definitely run The Color Run again, and recommend it to anyone!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

The Garmin Forerunner Running Watch!

In honor of spring's arrival and warmer weather on the way, I thought I'd talk about something that I'm also really looking forward to about this new, fresh season:

Running Outside!

Though I began my running career on a treadmill and an indoor track, outdoor running is something that I'm quickly falling in love with!

I love the feeling of being free, being able to see things going on around me, listening to music on Pandora, and feeling the wind in my face. The only hard part about transitioning from the treadmill to the open road, is not having something to keep track of how far I've gone.

Normally, I use the MapMyRun iPhone app. It lets me track where I've been, for how long and the calories that I've burned. This works great, except I have to take my armband completely off to see how far I've gone. This doesn't take much energy, but it's pretty annoying to have to stop mid-workout to check my mileage in between full miles.

My solution to this little running problem?

The Garmin Forerunner10:

 

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The Garmin Forerunner10 is a GPS watch that's worn on the wrist, just like a normal watch, except it keeps track of your running. This model is one of the more basic ones, and calculates distance, time and calories burned. I love that it comes in hot pink, perfect for a girly runner like me! This one costs about $130. I also like the next nicest model, the Forerunner110.

The Garmin Forerunner110:

The Forerunner110 is a little more advanced with it's options, and features a heart rate monitor that the model 10 doesn't have. With its added features, also comes an added price! This one will cost you $230, but for those features, it may be worth it for you.

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Luckily, I have a friend that works at a sporting goods store nearby that's offered to pick up the watch for me with their 40% off employee discount! That brings the Forerunner10 to $78, and the 110 to a mere $138! Definitely worth the savings!

Do any of you have a Garmin running watch? Do you love it?

Thanks to Stephanie at The Midwest Prep for introducing me to these super cool running watches! I can't wait to have one of my own!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

I'm a Color Runner!

This past Friday night, I could hardly sleep from excitement of running The Color Run the next morning! This was a day that I'd been preparing for for months now, and everything had to be perfect! My running partner, Samantha had been to pick up our race shirts and packets earlier last week, so we had everything we needed. 

My packet came stuffed with my racing bib, Color Run wristband, fun tattoo, safety pins for the bib, a package of color, and the 2013 Color Run t-shirt.

I started planning our outfits way ahead of time, and thanks to Amy of Lily and Bliss, I decided to go with a monogrammed white top instead of the standard white t-shirt! Once I knew the color of my monogram, I pulled in a pair of pink/purple Nike shorts, an over-sized pink bow I had laying around, and a neon pink/gold sports bra!

I loved being able to have my race outfit show my personality!

On Saturday morning, my family and I woke up bright and early to start getting ready for the race! Even though Samantha and I were the only two running, my Mom, Dad and Brother were our wonderful cheerleaders and photographers!

On the way to the race!

SO excited to be in the car and on the way!!

The race started at 10AM, but I wanted to be there at least half an hour early to give us time to eat a little something, stretch, take some photos, and do any other last minute things before we started running. This unfortunately was not the case. Traffic was backed up coming from every direction, so we didn't get out of the car until about 10 minutes before the race started!

Getting ready to head to the starting line!

I hadn't planned on wearing the heart sunglasses, but grabbed them at the last minute to keep the color out of my eyes. So glad I did!

Samantha!

When we finally made it to the race corral, Samantha and I jumped in line about 100 yards from the starting line. They start the race in different heats, and we were in about the 4th one back. There were so many people!

 Waiting for our heat to start!

I loved having the announcers there to pump you up before you started running.

 
Here we go!

I was so excited when we finally started running, I think I ran the entire race off pure adrenaline! It didn't even seem like we were running because I was having so much fun!

During the race, we were showered with tons of yellow, purple, green, pink, and blue color. I had color in places I didn't even know existed! 

The after effect!

The crazy color explosion once everyone was done!

Since I just started running this past November, I was beyond thrilled to cross the finish line! It felt so good to finish something that I worked so hard for!

After this race, I think I'm in love with 5K's! They are the perfect distance to get your heart pumping without tiring you out. I've already got my eye on another one in May, when the Race for the Cure comes to Winston-Salem!

I hope all of you out there running this weekend had as much fun as I did!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!