Apps That Make Life Easier

So I have officially surpassed 30 consecutive days at the gym.

I began a month ago using the fitness plan that Planet Fitness 'designed' for me but it really has no thought put into it and I never felt anything even if I was increasing the weight, just a lot of machines and only two exercises with free weights. Nothing against them I mean it was a free assessment, so I can't really complain. I just wasn't feeling like anything was happening and was just going through the motions.

BUT! A week ago I started using two different apps to train and track my progress.

RUNNING for weight loss and BodySpace. I have not used the meal plans on RUNNING so I can't comment on that but it's something like 7 days for free and then $9.99/month or $3.33/12 months. I picked the 3 day a week plan and I'm just doing the days back to back. BodySpace is free and the part of RUNNING I'm using is free as well.

With RUNNING it forces me to do intervals and push myself and I already feel better endurance after my incredibly long hiatus from the pavement. It links with your phones music so I don't have to listen to some pop-type-crap, although it has stations if you aren't in the mood to make your own playlist.

With BodySpace, I feel like I can do an actual weight training workout that will benefit me. I've completed a week of Jamie Easons LiveFit Trainer. Right now it's 4 days of weights and 3 of rest, which I'm using for cardio. It'll end up 6 days weights and 1 day rest but I'll be prepared by that point.

It's really so simple, if you need something that is easy and organized that is the way to go. Also, I know this will shock you all. I'm WarsawMermaid on there if you want to link up :)


This Saturday I will be at the Atlanta Women's 5k. Will you be there?!

Back in the Saddle Again!

So it has been a CRAY CRAY ride since 11/2/15 which was my last post. Yes. I did say cray cray. Yes, I will never say it again....I promise.

I will end up recapping the last runDisney race I ran (The Dark Side Half Marathon 2016) this weekend hopefully, however there have been so so many things that have happened since November of 2015... I will find the right time and place to express them. I guess it's the one thing that I want to make sure I'm okay with sharing before I put it out on the information superhighway that is the internet. 

I wish I thought this much before sending a boob pick to that guy. Ugh. I guess we all make mistakes, right? Shit, I mean, when your girls look good you shouldn't be ashamed.

So after I hopped off the Hot Mess Express that I was in charge of conducting... fast forward to November 2016, a year after my last post and I am officially an Atlantian. It's been an interesting transition from Northern life to the Southern way things are done. Florida should not be considered Southern in my opinion, it's too neutral. It's like your best friend thats bisexual, equal opportunity for all, understanding and always down for a shot of tequila and a day at the beach. 

Georgia is nothing like that. 

I would be lying if I said I didn't love it here though. The company I work for is hands down the best I ever have been a part of. I am so lucky to have gotten out to Park and Rec AND YMCA life. I know after putting that out here I can probably never go back into either of those worlds, but that's okay. One is too political and they know it and the other just hides the fact that they are. But back to the ATL, Most of the people I work with are amazing and absolute gems in my life, ya know, ya can't win 'em all. I feel very much at home here, not like it did in Orlando but SO much more than I did in Connecticut.


Sorry, I'm getting off track. Back to why I'm posting....

Yesterday marks 20 days of going to the gym consecutively. It's a HUGE accomplishment for me. I've kinda, okay....always, made excuses about why I couldn't make it, why I didn't have time. But I changed that mindset recently.

This week in particular could have been what broke me but I didn't let it. 

Monday was leg day, my favorite day of the week! I was at the end of my workout, doing squats with a 20lb curl bar...child's play really. And I was on the first set of reps, maybe at 5 out of 12 and felt a tear in my left quad. I tried doing a half squat and felt even more of a pull. I freaked out and limped over to the rack to put the curl bar away. I immediately left the gym and went home. I could not even fathom how I had hurt myself when I'd been so committed! I hobbled into the showered and KT Taped up once out. Every time I had to pee or went to sit on the couch I had immense pain. I took some anti-inflammatory meds and just took it easy the rest of the night.

I didn't want to stop all of my progress and I ended up going back to the gym Tuesday evening and maybe did 2 miles tops, nice and easy on the treadmill. Wednesday I felt so much better being taped up and did a 5k in 44minutes and some change. Thursday I felt amazing and did 4 miles in 49minutes and some change. I couldn't believe that I was getting myself back to where I had been years ago.

Yesterday was the cherry on top.

I typically have conversations on the treadmill during my warm up, no more than 5 minutes usually. I was completely set on the fact that the gym closed at 19:00 and I got carried away at work and didn't leave until 17:45. I knew I would have an hour most at the rate I was going. I quickly changed, took Zeus the Moose out to pee, fed him dinner, back in the crate and got to the gym by 18:15. 

The first 2 miles were...ugh! There is little to say other than that, my calves were cramping, my ankles and heels hurt, the instep of my foot was tight and in pain. I slowed my pace and stretched a little. I was at about a 15 minute mile for miles 0-1 and 1-2 and then all of a sudden...

Andy Grammer "Back Home" came on. The video above played in my mind as I picked up my 5.0/3.5mph pace (1 min run/1 min walk tempo) changed to a consistent 6.1mph run for the last 1.1 miles. I have never had this reaction to a song on my playlist before. I had chills all over my body down to my feet. I had to choke back tears while running a 10mm pace and let me tell you....that is a tough thing to accomplish. I have never needed a power song more than this. I believe this was the best negative split I've ever done whether in training or at a race. From 15:00mm to 10:00mm. I. Will. Take. It.


I feel like I am back for real. And even better than the last time I remember.


I have missed you all so much and cannot wait to enjoy my second chance!

MegLovin' Monday

This week I am MegLovin' on.....

Elizabeth at Bibbidi Bobbidi Babies!

Elizabeth is amazing not only because she is a dedicated mother to her son, BUT she has babies for people who cant....I mean, COME ON, how many people offer to do that? Not enough I tell ya! She's also one of my favorite people to run with. 

MegLovin' Monday

I was lucky enough to meet this fabulous lady at the #RunnersLove meet-up that Kristy and I had at the Poly.

So let me gush for a second.... Not only is she absolutely gorgeous, a blast to follow at her blog, but this women truthfully epitomizes what I consider a complete bad ass woman. She says what is on her mind and she is a dedicated mother.

Follow her, if you don't already!



http://flowerscroon.com/

I Asked Myself What Am I Doing Here

To say I took a hiatus is an understatement...






Maybe it's the moose looking into my eyes all sleepy...

Maybe it's the fact my ex is still paying for my domain name...



Maybe it's the song playing on my iPhone...

Maybe it's the half bottle of Jet's Red from Cassidy Hill Vineyard in Coventry, CT...



It's probably all of those combined to be honest...

I have missed this community so much and realized that when I was a part of Runaway Royalty and blogging, not only did I lose weight but I was something much more important....

HAPPY!

I miss being happy so much. Don't get me wrong, my baby moose makes me happier than I have been since I was spending all my time with Ace but I miss running so much. So this is my commitment back to blogging and running.

What You Need To Know About runDisney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon

HIIIII! Hi, Hi! Hi!

I have missed you all so so much! I am thinking that finally having another runDisney race coming up as well as this fabulous BLOG HOP that it'll get me back into the swing of blogging. I have missed recapping races, MegLovin' Monday and Tastebud Tuesday!

SO! I am going to tell you all about my absolute FAVORITE runDisney Race. The Wine and Dine Half Marathon!

Three Parks. One Night. Wine. Dine. Bling.

One tip I'd like to give you is to make sure you nap before the race. Whether you run the Jingle Jungle 5k like me and nap after or you sleep in, do it. You'll thank yourself.

Make sure your bag check bags are packed before you nap and that you lay out your outfit before you close your eyes. It'll keep you incredibly relaxed and ready for your night race.

Sammy and I planned on getting to ESPN's Wide World of Sports early and brought our pre-race snacks with us. When we arrived we were maybe one of the first 200 there, which is like hitting the jackpot when we noticed that Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Chip and Dale were there for photo ops! We blew through Mickey, Goofy and Minnie. By the time we got in line for Chip and Dale the lines were out of control. However, getting there so early meant we still had time to wait in this last line.

Chef Mickey

Goofy was next!

And OF COURSE Minnie!

Chip and Dale! How cute are these two!?

The wait is what bothers people sometimes but I didn't feel the same anxious jitters I normally have for a morning race. I was pumped, ready to go, rested and relaxed.

It might sound silly but I love all the little touches runDisney adds. Like the way to find your corral.

Sammy and I were in Corral H. We didn't end up spending too much time in the corrals from what I remember. I felt like we were ready to go within a great time frame.

As the corrals were sent off with fireworks I became incredibly excited!

AND WE'RE OFF!

The first two miles went by very fast. I loved that each mile was themed. These miles are on the high way from ESPN's WWOS to Animal Kingdom.

Mile 2

The first characters we saw almost stopped us in our tracks. The dancing hippo and ostrich from Fantasia...WHAAAAAAAT! Both of our mouths must have dropped at the same time. There was no way we were missing this photo op.

Mile 3 came and went.

 We finally made our way into the Animal Kingdom, what a gorgeous tree!

They had these awesome lights on either side of the runners while entering Animal Kingdom too.

We saw Timon and stopped to take in the Hakuna Matata vibe he was putting out. We also attempted to use the bathroom in Asia because lets face it, port-o-potties are gross. I didn't think about what kind of an issue my tutu would become but lets be honest for a minute. I think I ended up with it in my mouth from holding it up. Too much info? Sorry. #TutuStruggles

Mile 4 down! Going through Asia.

 Gorgeous lights. I love Asia. Sorry it's a little blurry, action shot. I believe there is a chance that Baloo or King Louie were available for photos but since we had gotten them during the JJ5k we passed by them during the half.

As we were heading out of the Animal Kingdom (where the start and finish for the Jingle Jungle 5k was) we noticed a huge ship. This line probably killed our time but you wanna know what, Sammy being my best friend knew how much it would mean to me to take my picture with Jack Sparrow. I love her for this.

Mile 5! (Still in the AK parking lot)

Mile 6 - Almost half way done! 

Mile 7! Back out on the highway, headed towards MGM. 

*Heads up, in between miles 7 and 8 you run an exit/entrance ramp, it is slanted up to the right, Take it easy on your ankles and knees*

Mile 8! Fuel Time

Mile 9 is where I got really excited! We were on our way into MGM!

I love the Hollywood Tower Hotel at night <3

This is a great spot to stop and use the bathroom. The parks always have cleaner ones and if you are the person not using the bathroom its a great time to stretch.

I had to take a shot back down the street.

After you pass Mickey's Sorcerrers Hat you head towards Pixar Place and you'll find some good friends there too! The lighting around our two buddies here was awful though. It made everything so blurry.

It has been many many years since I have taken the Backlot Tour and unfortunately I did hear they were closing it for good but I am pretty sure we had our course come through the same areas the tour takes you. This tunnel was an absolute blast! Disco themed with fog lights. It was a huge energy boost.

Mile 10 came around very fast and the excitement began to build for the big event of the race....the part everyone raves about....the part you dream about... On the other side of the sign was Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope. We were ready to be done so we pushed on.

 Then. The best part of the entire course. THE OSBOURNE FAMILY SPECTACLE OF LIGHTS! I will continue to run this race as long as they keep this as part of the course.

I didn't want it to end. I almost forgot for a second, just a second, we were running. I wanted to stop and take it all in, but we still had 2 miles to go. 

After you exit MGM you run along the Boardwalk and then cross over to the Yacht and Beach club. It was amazing. It was a little tight in spaces but it was so fabulous to see spectators with signs and people cheering. I even saw Pam and Christine (We Run Disney) as they were heading back to their rooms. I love this area of Walt Disney World Property the most of any place.

As we rounded the corner past the International Gateway they had adorable Mickey shaped lights. 

When we finally saw the finish line in front of us I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So I just lifted my arms in victory! Another runDisney race completed. 

*HEADS UP* I don't care if you're 6, 26, 56 or 96. You are never prepared to see nakedness after giving your all in a race....or well ever. They didn't say that this changing area was a free-for-all. I like my space and a place to sit when I change after running 13.1 miles but instead...boobs and more galore. We changed quickly and headed towards EPCOT and the after party.

I was very disappointed that the 'free adult beverage' they were handing out was down to the end of the beer stash as I was hoping for some free wine. Maybe with an earlier corral this year I'll get one!

Once you are changed, or well ready to party, be prepared to have your bag checked again as you enter the park. These lines were longer than some of the character lines. But getting your finishers shot in front of Spaceship Earth is worth it.

Hope you are having a blast along the blog hop! See you real soon!

Love is...

I'm not sure about most of you, but my best thinking is done in the car. I'm not sure if that means I admit to being a bad driver or not but regardless...

I was thinking about love. Songs sung, poems written, photographs taken, words spoken...

Love is hard to find and even harder to define.

Love is different to each and every single person on earth. Even the person you fall in 'love' with has a different perception of your love and the love they want to receive.


.............................................................................


I realize this blog is about running. But, running is an activity, sport, exercise that requires love. Love for the pain. Love for the sweat. Love for yourself. And for some of us, love for the actual feel of the pavement under our feet.

The last three months that I have taken off from blogging and being on here have been a journey to love myself. For a long, very long, time I put all of myself into everything and everyone else; my jobs, my friendships, my relationship. I thought doing all of that would help me feel whole, more me than if I spent time on myself. Boy, was I wrong. 

After losing my job and then ending a very long relationship I realized that I had lost more than just that. I had lost myself.

My goal of reclaiming the independent, outgoing woman I once was is slowly but surely making waves. I am happier now than I have been in years and I'm making changes in my life that I am very excited about.



So, thank you if you've stuck around, I can't wait to catch you up on all the races I've done since I went MIA.