Warm Up & Cool Down

Alright, be honest... Do you consistently do a warm-up and cool-down with every workout?  I know I sure don't.  Now that I have finally relaxed from writing at school, I have been able to catch up on some reading I've been backed up on.  One of the things I want to share with you is warm-up and cool-down, or the WU/CD as I'll be referring to it :)

You would never jump into an aerobics class like kickboxing or Zumba without a WU/CD right?  So why would you do it for other activities, such as running, or even weight-lifting?

Recently, a friend introduced me to a blog from a local gym, Boutique Fitness in New Bedford, MA.  It is fantastic!  They have such wonderful little tips and recipes available.  In addition, they have great videos that are easily incorporated into the beginning and end of any workout!  Check them out if you have time!


I did a nice little 2 mile run with Randy yesterday.  It was chilly with the wind around the pond, and my lungs hurt pretty badly by the end!  It was my first run since the half marathon though, so baby steps!  We did P90X Ab Ripper X when we got home... TOUGH haha SORE today, that's for sure!!

Shameless plug

Hey everyone!  Please do me (and yourself) a favor and watch this video of my boyfriend, Randy, killing this guitar solo!  If you can take a moment and post a comment, it would be really appreciated :)

Thanks!!!!

http://bluesmasters.yoov.io/channels/Randy+Medeiros+

New challenge! YAY

So now that the New Bedford Half Marathon is in my rear-view, I am ready to move on to a new goal.  I would LIKE to re-start my previously halted burpee challenge... time will tell haha

Also, I have made a pledge to run 7-10 miles every Sunday.  I know myself, and for those of you that also know me, this is quite ambitious.  But I figure if I SAY every Sunday, chances are I will make it happen at least twice per month!  I want to keep myself in race-ready condition.  Especially because there is a long list of races I would like to compete in in 2013!  The next race on my radar is the Girls on the Run 10K in Providence, RI

New Bedford Half Marathon :)

We did it!!  The entire weekend was great!  My cousin Dan arrived from PA on Friday afternoon, and the fun never stopped!

Thanks to my sister, Dan and I were able to sport the most amazing running tutus ever! We were a HUGE HIT with the crowds cheering everyone on along the route!  Dan kept running back and forth doing twirls and leaps haha

  My mom treated us to cupcakes... 1 hour before race start haha  Hey, gotta fuel up right?!

 The race was great.  FREEZING, but great.  The temperature never went above 40*F, but it was sunny, so at certain points, the sun was nice and warm.  Despite a bit of expected asthmatic woes, I felt great through the first 10 miles and we were making amazing time.  And then it hit me... and it hit me HARD  :(  The last 3.1 miles were awful and KICKED.  MY.  BUTT.

We were able to finish strong and in the end I shaved 2 minutes off of my previous time!  Not much to brag about, but having presented my thesis proposal 48 hours before, I am going to take it as a WIN haha

Dan and I have an amazing family.  We were truly blessed with the best supporters!  We had fans at miles 2, 5, 10, 12, and the finish line!  They were equip with drinks, signs, and encouragement!  So great :)

This is the whole "mile 10 group" minus my aunt who was taking the photo

Teague and Stephie

 Some of the group

Mom and Teague

My uncle in his super-festive socks 

Ashley and Sabrina

Aunt Gert and Ava 

Ava and her new BBF's the big stuffed horse

Nana with her adorable new pup Sam :)

One of our awesome signs the family made :)

 My beautiful cousins with the sign that they made :)

 The other side :)

These are a few of the pictures that my family was able to get of us and my Uncle from their spot at the 10 mile marker!

My Uncle stopping for a group hug!  He was amazing!! 70+ years old and kicked butt!!!

The home stretch!!  This was about 100 yards from the finish-line!  Photo credit: Katie Nunes

Found Rachel at the finish line!  She kicked some serious butt at her first 1/2!!  Thanks to her mom for snapping this photo of us :)

I am SO SO SO thankful to everyone that had such wonderful, encouraging words.  I have the best family and friends a gal could ask for, and basically owe you all about 50% of the credit.  I get to keep 50% because let's face it, I AM the one that actually did the work ;)

An extra special thank you to my hunnie :)  He puts up with my exhausted, crabby, smelly-from-the-gym behind with a smile (sometimes haha) on his face and I am eternally grateful! 

Here are a few other pics from the rest of Dan's wicked-pissah Bahston weekend 

My AMAZING St. Patrick's Day Guinness-simmered pot roast

Loosing battles with in-animate objects 

Hope you're hungry - Best sushi around at Turk's :)

BFF's

Hanging in the city.. standing on benches haha

 Our new friend the lightpost

Dan and Randy

 Taking in the view at Ft. Taber/ Rodman, New Bedford, MA

2 weeks :)

Getting excited!!!

3/3/13 - GREAT outside run today :) Ran a course that covered 10 miles of the actual course of the HM in 2 weeks!  TIRED and damn do my hips hurt.  Almost punked out about 4 miles in but I stuck with it and felt SO great after!  It felt great to run outside, as well as with other people!  Thanks to Rachel and Geoff for being such great running buddies! :)

I also made my first "running smoothie" this morning.  Frozen mango, peaches, strawberries, pineapple, and raspberries, kale, a splash of skim milk, a cup of water and a scoop of Lean Protein Fruits and Veggies.  Taste = 8 / Looks = 2

 Special thanks to my wonderful boyfriend for putting up with my shenanigans and allowing me to use the blender at 7:15am on a Sunday! haha  The day ended with a great stretch and a terrible loss by the Bruins :(

3/4/13 - No running today, Zumba instead!  It hurt, but felt great at the same time.  Went to the chiropractor this morning, she did about 7 different stretches and adjustments.. hopefully it works!

3/5/13 - Lab and writing all day followed by class at 5pm = no running

3/6/13 - Quick 2 miles at the gym.  I have decided that treadmill running is for the birds.  My hips hurt almost immediately, so I didn't push it.  I'll try running outside tomorrow

3/7/13 - HAH!!  Very unwelcome of you "Winter Storm Saturn"  jerk.  Well I will most certainly NOT be running outside today in this terrible sloppy mess!

Good news, I am wearing my awesome new T-shirt today :)  Thanks Randy!  It is from the blog: life's a wheeze.  You guys, this blog is awesome!  She is the cutest and definitely an inspiration for all asthmatic runners!

I had an AMAZING run today on the treadmill!  I had one of my best runs I can ever remember.  I listened to techno for the first time while running today.. maybe it really does have subliminal messages! haha
I started with a 10 minute fast walk, followed by a 50 minute run (with no breaks for walks!)  In that time I completed 4 miles in 46:30.  A final 5 minute cool down run = 5.25 miles in 65 minutes.  Pretty damn psyched :)

*Nerd alert:  brought my thesis proposal slides to read while I ran*

3/8/13 - Well who needs cardio when you have 6+ inches of snow to shovel right?!? racked up nearly 1000 fuel points in 45 minutes out there!  I am thinking I will do my Make your day count workout later on!!

OH MY GOSH 3 weeks!!!

3 weeks until the big day!!

2/24/13 - I had every intention of doing a nice, long, outdoor run this morning.  Cue the cold, POURING rain :(  I opted for a shorter (2.25mile) indoor run.  Still quite difficult though.  The cold is really going to kick my ass this year, I can feel it :(

2/25/13 - Terrible training day.  I started strong, felt really good and then barely completed 3 miles.  My hips were in so much pain.  ugh

2/27/13 - Another terrible.  This newly developed hip pain needs to hit the road, FAST.  Only got in 2.5 miles before I felt like I was going to be flung off of the treadmill from not being able to pick up my own feet. SO painful :(  I did however complete another 40 minutes on the elliptical machine, which makes me wonder what is actually going wrong.  I feel like I know a decent enough amount about anatomy; I am really hoping it's not my hip flexors, or joints rubbing together!!

Bad weekend.... No training :(

4 weeks!!

O.  M.  G.  I can't believe there is less than 4 weeks until race day!  I am getting excited, that's for sure!
This week I am going to concentrate on longevity of my runs.  I will be running 1+ hour every day, trying to prepare myself for the time it takes to compete the race, rather than the distance.  Wish me luck!

2/20/13 - Completed 3.55 miles in 45 minutes on the treadmill after almost 1 full week of no "formal" exercise.  Also, I was sans-albuterol, so I am pretty sure I did so much coughing everyone around me thought I was spreading the Bubonic Plague hahaha There was also the 1/4 mile walk to and from the car.  So we will call it 4 miles ;)  I am slightly disappointed in my FuelBand right now though.  I know it is not going to be 100% accurate, but it was off by about 30%. Hopefully when I get off the treadmill and onto the road it gets better!!

2/21/13 - Pretty big day!  I completed 5 miles in juuuust under an hour!  With my 5 minute cool down walk, my official time + distance was 5.32 miles in 1:05.  Not too bad!  My FuelBand is still pretty off :(  missed by 30% again tonight, and I am trying REALLY hard to have good form while I run, swinging my arms and whatnot.  Oh well, it's still getting the majority for now!

2/22/13 - No run today, working at the restaurant tonight!

2/23/13 - I had every intention of running today, and then didn't... fail.  But I am glad I didn't, crazy night at work had me running around wishing I could rack up the miles and cash them in come race day almost like "time-served" haha