Ramping Up

By on May 24, 2013 in Uncategorized

It may just be the caffeine talking but I am getting very excited for the ZOOMA run half-marathon next weekend.

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I have no reason to believe I am in shape enough to PR this race, yet I can’t help but be excited to get out there and R.U.N.

Also, my college roommate is coming down and will be running her very first half-marathon. I can’t wait to experience this with her. She actually drove from Syracuse to Albany when we were in college to surprise me at the finish line of my first half, so it is all coming full circle now!

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This week I’ve been closely monitoring my activity levels thanks to my new FitBit and I must say, I think this little toy is worth its weight in gold.

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It has forced me to park farther away, take breaks at work to go for walks, and be more cognizant of the amount of time I spend sitting in front of my desk. I aim to hit 5.0 miles every day, whether through walking, running, or just moving around.

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I saw that little guy on my walk yesterday. I’m hoping the increased activity will help with my long term weight loss goals but if not, at least I’m making more of an effort to stay active. I think it will help me feel better overall.

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And one last thing since it is Friday and a holiday weekend is upon us. It’s the “final countdown..”

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(Annyong anyone?)

Only 2 more days until Arrested Development is back! If you need me Sunday, I will be on my couch soaking up every last pun and subtle joke.

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Nike Training Club Workout in Georgetown!

By on May 21, 2013 in D.C., excuses, exercise, workout

So I had hoped to get out of this. I tried every excuse in the book: “I’m tired,” “my legs will be too tired from the 10k!,” “It’s so late and I will just want to go home!” to no avail.

I mentioned the free bootcamp class held at the Nike store in Georgetown to my roommate and she was all about it. We planned to go a few weeks ago and as the date got closer I became a bit nervous. I’ve read about the class and everyone pretty much agrees it’s one of the toughest workouts they have been through.

My escape attempts were futile as my roommate knows me well enough to call out my BS and tell me to suck it up. So after work on Monday we met up in Georgetown for smoothies and a stroll before class.

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Fortunately we arrived at the store a bit early. I say we were lucky as they only let the first 100 people in the door. After that, the class is considered full and they turn people away.

My roommate grabbed a pair of shoes from the nice women working the desk and was told she could try them out for the workout and to return them afterward. I think it is really great Nike allows you to try out their gear. That’s the right way to make a sale in my opinion. :)

We roamed around the empty store before settling into our spots toward the middle of the pack. Soon enough the live DJ started blasting music (in a good way) and we got excited.

The class was a circuit format. 4 exercises completed 2 times through for 60 seconds each. The exercises were all body weight/ cardio-endurance type moves that ranges from the running man (seriously) to kickboxing moves.

It was painful and I was definitely humbled by the endurance level of the trainers and the people around me. But as hard as it was it was also a great time! The energy in the room was electric and between the music and the trainers you have no choice but to give it your all!

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(Before the sweatfest!)

I am so glad my roommate pushed me to go. I would not have wanted to miss out! We are definitely planning to go back to the Nike Training Club workouts in the future and if you are local I definitely recommend you check it out!

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Capitol Hill Classic 10k

By on May 19, 2013 in running

Hi there!

Long time no blog. Life has been chugging along and shows no signs of slowing down. Since I last checked in I spent a lovely weekend in PA with my parents for Mother’s Day, sat in many traffic jams, renewed my love for yoga, and worked a lot. :)

This morning my plus one and I woke up at the crack of dawn to participate in the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, a local race supporting the DC Capitol Hill Cluster School. This was my guy’s first race EVER so I was very excited to be able to share this with him.

We arrived early to pick up our bibs and ended up having time to spare. So we went in search of caffeine. Turns out that no coffee shops in the District are open prior to 8AM save for one lone Starbucks in the center of Union Station. I was happy to take a little walk since I just ordered a Fitbit and was eager to test it out!

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I wore it all through the race (clipped to my sports bra) and I must say that I am a big fan! I love all of the data it provides.

Anyways, back to the race. We lined up around 8:15 for an anticipated 8:30 start. At 8:45 I ran over to the finish line food table for a banana because I was officially starving and tired of waiting. We finally took off a few minutes before 9 but I must say it is really frustrating when races do not start on time. There is just too much waiting around!

We lost one another within the first mile, as he is much taller and therefore faster than I. So I turned up my music and decided to keep a comfortable pace. I didn’t wear my Polar or Garmin as I wanted to see what pace I naturally run without trying to pace myself with a watch. (Does that make any sense?!)

The first three miles were flat with a net downhill. Around the fourth mile we climbed a hill for a while which pushed me into the uncomfortable zone. I tried to continue running while bringing my heart rate down at the same time but it was just not happening so I took a brief walking break.

Around this time a nice little mist starting falling which helped cool me down and push me to keep running, as I am not keen on soaking my iPhone in a downpour.

The end came soon enough and I sprinted to the end finishing in 1:02 or a 10:05 pace. My guy finished just ahead of me in 1:01 or a 9:57 pace. Not bad for two people who seriously contemplated sleeping in. :)

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The post race logistics were not great. There was a lot of chaos around the finish line as no one was directing runners to leave the area. Also, there was no TP in the port-potties which is a major oversight. That said, I am SO glad we did the race together and I am so grateful to have a new running buddy!

Question: What is your favorite distance to race?

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Hiatus

By on May 7, 2013 in Uncategorized

Hello? Anyone out there?

I am taking a little break from blogging this week. I just seem to need more time than I have and this seems to be the best solution for now.

I hope you are all having a great week!

 

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Few Things Friday + Giveaway Winner

By on May 3, 2013 in food

1. The winner of the Bestowed Box is #21- Cathy!

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Congratulations Cathy! Please send me an email at jennifer@knackfornutrition.com with your address so I can get your box on the way!

2. Moving right along… TGIF!! I don’t know how things are going on your end but I seriously thought the weekend would never get here. it was one of those weeks that just dragged on and on you know? I feel really behind on things in my life and look forward to having the weekend to catch up and slow down a bit.  

3. Ashley gifted me a bunch of spare Vitatops she had laying around her freezer and I can’t stop eating them.

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This is my first go-around with the carrot cake flavor as I am more of a chocolate kind of girl but the wheels are already turning as to how I am going to incorporate these into some delicious, low-calorie desserts!

4. I kind of glazed over this week, doing the bare minimum to get by. Therefore meals have been easy, quick, and transportable.

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Not my best work but I do what I can. The yogurt, granola, banana concoction has done a great job of keeping my hunger at bay all morning long. Too bad I ran out yesterday because I could really go for some right about now!

With that, I am off for what promises to be a busy day!

Question: What is your favorite flavor Vitatop and/or muffin? I am a classic blueberry kind of girl!

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Some weeks are easier than others

By on May 2, 2013 in Uncategorized

Some weeks are easier than others but life has a funny way of balancing itself out. One week you may be a workout feign, sacrificing your social life to make sure you hit the gym X number of times and the next week you may just not really care. I’m currently in the midst of one of the down weeks where my social life, my bed, and work are taking precedence over fitness.

Back in the day this concept used to stress me out to no end. I think I had a bit of disordered thinking in that I sacrificed a balanced life for workouts and meals that gave me feelings of control.

It was a gradual shift to where I am now. Life changes and you have to adapt and stop fighting the things you cannot control. It’s just not possible to work a full job, deal with a long commute, and work out every single day. That rigid of a schedule would eat me alive!

So it’s been a few days since I’ve worked out. I stayed out past my bedtime last night hanging out with my favorite bloggers on a triple date so I skipped my workout this AM in lieu of a bit of extra sleep. It still wasn’t enough but that’s what coffee is for, right? Tonight is solo date night so fitness remains on the back burner.

I still have grand plans of a long run this weekend (hopefully double digits) as my June 1st half marathon is rapidly approaching. But rather than worry about that now I think I’ll just enjoy the rest of this week for what it is.

Have a great Thursday! Don’t forget there is still one more day to enter my Bestowed giveaway! I’ll announce the winner tomorrow!

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