This is inspiring for sure! I gave up chocolate for Lent this year, and am trying to be healthier overall. I have noticed that I am not as interested in consuming chocolate, and sweets in general, now that Lent is over. My goal is to continue limiting my sweet intake and live as healthy as possible. š (Of course the occasional piece of pie and my sister’s banana bread cannot be avoided, but this is just a goal.) Happy eating!
I agree 100% with this post. Be confident in yourself and don’t push down others in order to improve your self-esteem. Everyone can benefit from loving themselves. š
Iām sure many of you have heard the newest chart topper by Meghan Trainor entitled āAll About That Bassā. If you havenāt, the super catchy pop song has a killer baseline and will most likely be stuck in your head for days. The whole message behind the song is (supposed to be) body acceptance and embracing your curves, or ābassā. Unfortunately, Trainorās idea of how to empower women in the sense of body confidence is skewed to the point of ignorance for the meaning.
Donāt get me wrong, I love, LOVE the idea of pop songs endorsing confidence and acceptance. The problem with this song is that it does that, but only for a very specific type of woman and for the wrong reasons.
Sure, Trainor tells listeners that āevery inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the topā and āmy mama she told me donāt worry aboutā¦
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This article really stuck with me this evening. I found that it hits home and is very inspirational. I too have struggled with issues like the author shares, and especially appreciate when others tell their own stories of difficult times that they have worked through. Definitely a great read. Best wishes all!
After almost a week of not exercising – because I was out of town/too sick to move – I got back into my workout groove this evening. (Though, I guess I can count running around an amusement park for a full day as exercise…) Following 5 1/2 hours on my feet at work today, I didn’t feel much like running, so I decided tonight would be the perfect opportunity to bike.
It was very relaxing to get back outside and take in as much fresh air as possible. I definitely got a workout pedaling up the hills around my house and got to cheer on my sister as she ran. When I was younger, I didn’t cross-train much, so it’s definitely nice to do so now.
I completed the evening with an arm workout, a teeny bit of ab work, and some muscle rolling that hurt like a b****Ā made every muscle in my legs feel brand new. Tomorrow, following an 8 1/2 hour, 5am shift, and a nap, the plan is to hit the track to time my mile and soak upĀ some quality turf time with my mini me. She starts high school try-outs next Monday and my preseason starts in two Saturdays, so we’re trying to fit in a little more time for stickwork before we parts ways. Here’s hoping for nice weather and a 6:30ish mile. Best of luck with all of your end of summer goals! š
Me and “Mini Me”
This week, I got to spend a couple of wonderful days with some of my best friends from school. I know Iām going back in two weeks, but it was great to see them before summer was over. We kicked things off with an adventure through Pennsylvania and we only managed to get lost once ā not too bad ā although we did get hung up in construction for a bit. (It wouldnāt be PA without roadwork almost everywhere you go!) After a decent amount of planning we ended up at Dorney Park, which was absolutely amazing! Iād never been there before and definitely recommend it to any thrill seeker.
Our first five hours were spent in the water park. (After grabbing some Cinnabons and souvenir cupsā¦yum.) We managed to hit almost all of the slides, the wave pool, and have a chance to wander and relax for a bit, before getting into the park itself. The park is huge and has options for everyone. Iāve always been a fan of both rollercoasters and spinning rides, though being sick definitely limited my options for the day. I think my favorite ride was the Tilt-a-Whirl, even though I didnāt feel so great. We fit all four of us into the seat and really got it spinning. So cheers to that. And even though heights terrify me, I agreed to ride one of those tower rides that shoots you up 200+ feet into the air. It was actually kind of fun. Who knew? After closing out the park at 10pm, getting some fabulous group selfies outside the gates, and a camp out of sorts, our adventure had to come to an end.
Iām glad that I got to see friends, but two days later I still donāt feel much better, so working out has been removed from my to-do list for the time being. Instead, Iāve binged watched 5 episodes of Major Crimes, indulged in some Kim Kardashian: Hollywood until my phone battery died, and eaten only crackers, a banana, and soup. Now, Iāve got a case of cabin fever and just want to get out of my room for awhile. Hopefully, I get better soon because I think Iāve worn out my list of favorite websites to surf online.
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Things that make me feel better when Iām sick:
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Since school returns so soon, Iād love to be out running to continue my preparation for pre-season or be organizing and packing so I can smoothly transition into my new room. However, I think Iāll just sit here and dream about such things. Maybe, Iāll even revise my packing listā¦again.
What suggestions do you have for a sick day? Best and healthy wishes! For now, Brittany
Hi everybody! Clearly, Iāve been on hiatus for a while, but I am back with exciting news. On Sunday, I completed my first half marathon and was able to cross one goal off my bucket list. After five days away ā visiting family, back-to-school shopping, and running many miles ā I am happy to be home and able to relax.
The couple of days leading up to the race were definitely nerve-wracking. I was worried that I wouldnāt be able to pace myself or would get hurt and not be able to finish the race. How I Met Your Mother and a good nightās sleep were just what I needed to calm myself pre-race.
How my morning looked:
Per some advice I read online, I immediately got in line for the bathroom when I got out of the car. I am definitely glad I listened. It took me 25 minutes to get through line and I didnāt have to stop once along the route.
There were 1270 race participants and everyone sure seemed excited. The energy was contagious and the runners ā and crowd ā helped push me to the finish line. Shout out to my parents, sisters and uncle who came out to the race to support me along the way and my aunts and extended family who supported me from afar. My sisters made some awesome posters that put a smile on my face as a trekked on.
An awesome poster one of my sisters made. (More poster pictures to come later!)
As for the route itself, it was very relaxing. I started out a bit slow, just because I didnāt want to wear myself out too soon. By the end of mile two I dropped my pace by 30-45 seconds per mile and stayed relatively consistent for the remainder of the race. The Presque Isle Half took a loop around the Peninsula, through the woods and allowed several chances to view Lake Erie. The course was mainly flat and had eleven water stations that I definitely took advantage of. I was grateful to have perfect weather – cloudy and cool, with a slight breeze.
Beautiful photo of Lake Erie (photo cred: my mom)
Around mile eleven, I started to drag mentally, but got a burst of energy when Macklemoreās Ten Thousand Hours blasted through my headphones. I draw so much inspiration from the line āThe greats werenāt great because at birth they could paint, the greats were great because they paint a lot.ā Additionally, the knowledge that my family would be waiting to cheer me on near the finish kept me moving.
In the end, I managed to beat my 2:15 goal by more than 8 minutes and am definitely proud of my accomplishment. I definitely chowed down once I crossed the finish line. My post-race meal included a hot dog, cheeseburger, banana, animal crackers, blueberry pancakes, bacon, a strawberry banana smoothie, water, Gatorade and Sprite.
Showing off my metal and food. š
Iām now in recovery mode and feel great today. Of course, this is after two days of relaxing, icing, and sleeping. I am so happy I participated in this race and plan to run many more in the future. My next goal is to drop my pace by about 30 seconds/mile and break 2 hours for my time.
***My personal advice to runners is to definitely get in line for the bathroom early and to stock up on chaffing cream. Before Sunday, I had never experienced chaffing so bad and will surely never be without long spandex and chaffing cream again. It was SO NOT FUN.
Now, Iām off to stretch and watch some Duck Dynasty. Until later, happy running!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth! To be honest, I didn’t really do much. I was up for work at 4am, napped for three hours when I got home, and ate two hot dogs because heck yes, āMerica. Anyway, it was a very relaxing Independence Day and I did get the opportunity to see some fireworks ā on TV, but it still counts ā and both Zac Brown Band and Ariana Grandeās wonderful performances for the Macyās 4th Fest. Both sounded fantastic, and I was so happy to hear two of my favorite songs.
I am a huge Ariana Grande fan! I think she is an amazing singer and absolutely inspirational.
I did take the opportunity to enjoy today as a rest day, especially after having a crazy 8-hour shift in the sub shop this morning. I baked over 300 rolls! Trust me; it takes lots of time and patience. But, I did have some awesome workouts earlier this week and am getting both excited and nervous as my half marathon grows near. I feel good about the progress Iāve made and am planning for another long run either tomorrow or Sunday afternoon, following work. Below are my workouts from the past three days.
Tuesday: timed 2-mile on hills; ab/leg work
Wednesday: 5-miles (dropped my pace! Whoo!)
Thursday: 10x100m; 75-jog, 25-walk back; lots of passing/shooting for field hockey
Ā Additionally, in the spirit of the Fourth, I have set four goals for myself for the rest of 2014. They are as follows:
Iām also getting excited for school to start in the fall. Honestly, Iām more interested in hockey season, but I am working to be more organized this year. Today, I bought myself a planner for the upcoming year and am going to sit down and start filling it out tomorrow. I am looking forward to color coding, adding stickers, and making my year that much more manageableā¦more to come on that as I progress. Also, my room is freshly painted and redesigned and I canāt wait to post photos of that too. Happy Birthday America! š
I am so excited to have reached new strides with my running this past week. I pushed myself into the double digits and logged 10 miles for one run. I still canāt believe I managed to run for so long and actually enjoy it. Towards the end, I honestly thought, āwho is crazy enough to do this?ā and then I realized, apparently I am. Running has definitely become a great stress reliever, especially after a long day at work. I work in customer service and love helping people, but by the end of an eight hour shift, I canāt wait to have some time to myself. Having always been just a sprinter, I never enjoyed long runs, but now I have to say they are my favorite part of the week. (**Note to self: Take a bathroom break before running, if not it is definitely not as enjoyable!) I had a chance to just clear my head, explore new paths, and think about whatever random topics popped into my head.
Some other newsā¦ I decided to order myself a FlipBelt. (I am not in any way associated with the company, just very excited about the product.) Itās this super nifty belt that holds your phone, keys, energy gels, and anything else you may want to put in for your run. They come in several different colors, but personally I like the charcoal. My sisters say that itās just a runnerās fanny pack, but hey I like it so itās fine by me. Yesterday, I finally went on my first completely hands-free run and at first it was a little weird, but I definitely enjoyed it. My phone didnāt end up covered in sweat and I worked harder because I didnāt get distracted tracking my mileage. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested and look forward to many more ventures with it.
Iād like to leave you all with one of my new favorite songs. Itās great for belting out on car trips or when I need that extra little push during a long run. Enjoy! š
Watch the lyric video forĀ Girls Chase Boys by Ingrid Michaelson now!
One of my absolute favorite things is buying new socks ā especially crew and extra padded ones. Itās one of those little things that always make me happy. While out shopping for bedding the past two days, I clearly got distracted inspiredĀ as I returned home with ten new stylish pairs of running socks ā just in time for the warm weather this week and lots of workouts as my half marathon gets closer! (I ended up purchasing bedding too!)
Other Running Related Purchases Iāve Recently Made:
What pieces of running gear do you get most excited about?
Severe storms in my area definitely put a damper on my workout yesterday. I know I had planned out my schedule, but I switched the days around a bit to accommodate for weather changes. Thinking I might get lucky, I pushed my 7-mile run to yesterday. But, when I went to leave the house, only to find storm clouds blowing in, I retreated to the treadmill in the basement. I know, 7-miles on a treadmill?! So fun. Not. Well at least I had some time to think and came up with an idea for todayās post. Years ago, had I been faced with poor weather, I wouldāve just skipped my workout and called it a day. Realizing that helped me to recognize other changes I have experienced in the past few months.
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As I just mentioned, if I couldnāt workout outside for one reason or another, I would not have come within an armās length of our treadmill. I found it to be boring and dreaded the pain it would cause in my shins. Now, I am realizing that there are different activities you can do to improve these workouts. First of all, my running form has gotten better, so my pain has disappeared (**knock on wood). With regard to making the treadmill more exciting, I try to multitask. Some of my personal favorite things to do while on the treadmill are watch TV ā especially What Not to Wear and Food Network ā listen to music, and do Fartlek workouts. All of these things make the time fly by and give me an opportunity to think about other activities that I enjoy.
As a collegiate athlete, I need to train to stay in shape for field hockey season. Previously, I would receive my workouts and toss them aside for weeks, without so much as a glance at them. I put off any semi-serious training until my āfreak-outā period of 3-4 weeks before try-outs started and relied on natural talent to succeed. Of course, I did not come in in great shape, nor was I able to succeed at my full potential. Having been working out with hockey in mind for months, I am building a great foundation for my junior season. The more I run, the more excited I am for the season to start and the closer it gets, the harder I push myself.
I was always concerned about my time during runs. I got very discouraged if I did not meet goals and pushed myself to the point of injury. I am starting to realize that time is not everything, at least for me. By just putting the effort in, I am able to see the benefits. Yes, my times have improved for all my runs, but I have put my focus on other things. In particular, I am working to keep a consistent pace ā something Iāve always struggled with ā increasing my distance, and running just to run.
Up until the end of high school, I was a sprinter. My longest distance was usually the 400m dash, with my personal favorite being the 100m dash. Sure, I would run a 5k now and then with friends, but I did not particularly enjoy doing so. For me, 3.1 miles was a daunting distance that made me nervous, even though I wasnāt competing for a top spot. Over time, Iāve learned to not worry about the distance, but just enjoy the ride. Yes, I love sprinting, but there is something so wonderful about getting to explore at my own pace.
There is nothing wrong with walking. If I cannot run anymore or do not feel well, there is no shame in walking. Part of my half marathon prep has been reading advice from other runners. Numerous sources told me that āwalking is not something to be ashamed of. You are still moving forward and making an effort and you can always be proud of that.ā This gave me an entirely different view of running and has helped me to work up to the continuous long-distance runs that I am now able to complete.
I am not one to tell anyone to not enjoy their favorite foods. I am a sucker for fro-yo, OREOs, and pretty much anything containing chocolate. What I have learned is that everything is alright in moderation and it is important to pay attention to what impacts your body how. Eat foods that help to fuel you and make you feel good, while still allowing yourself to indulge from time to time. Also, drink plenty of water, especially if you love coffee as much as I do.
I honestly never thought I would enjoy running, but I am happy to say that my old outlook is gone. I look forward to my workouts most days and love the feeling of accomplishment I have afterwards. Running gives me the opportunity to de-stress and explore the world around me. It is a great conversation starter and helps me to connect with others.
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Over the past few months, I have made several changes physically and mentally because of running. I really enjoy participating in such a wonderful sport and hope to share my love of it with others. What changes have you made recently?
ItsyBrittsySpidr 