Thursday, February 28, 2013

FEETURES! Ambassador

I am SOOOOO excited to be a FEETURES! Ambassador and absolutely love their socks/products!!! I started wearing Feetures! wayyyyyy back when I began this marathon running adventure 5 years ago.  I had problems with blisters and losing toenails before I started wearing Feetures! but once I made the switch I haven't looked back!  My hubby is even addicted to their socks and he tends to steal mine to wear...This does not make me happy! Haha!  Please go over and checkout their products and website!  I promise you will not be disappointed!  Delaware Running Company carries them as well as Rehoboth Beach Running Company.  I am hoping to do a giveaway for them soon!!

 
 
I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of Feetures!, Hugh Gaither at the Walt Disney World Marathon Expo this past January! His passion for these products was so contagious, which made my reasoning to become an Ambassador that much more easier. Feetures! believes in such an active and healthy lifestyle, and looks to support runners in their pursuit of this lifestyle. Their commitment to a positive, healthy lifestyle extends to the environment as well, as evidenced by their eco-friendly packaging and their association with the National Forest Foundation. Feetures! has become a Friend of the Forest by donating a portion of the sales from each Feetures! sock to the National Forest Foundation, which is dedicated to help preserving our nation's natural resources. Each contribution helps ensure the NFF can continue the daily work of conservation. Please visit to www.becomeafriend.org to find out more.   
 
 
Have you tried Feetures! yet???  Please comment and tell me how much you love them!
 
 
Happy Running!
 
DE Running Mom
 



Thursday, February 21, 2013

Rest Day and Great Harvest Bread Fairy!

Today was a much needed rest day...Plus I didn't have to mess up my "New Do" from yesterday!  I feel like I cannot get motivated on my rest days to do much of anything so I did what any runner would do and caught up on my favorite blogs and read my new Runner's World magazine which stressed the importance of rest days!  Bonus.  As I was reading I came across proper running form and strengthening exercises so of course I had to test them out....The hubby was heading to the gym so I decided to tag along for a little "light" strengthening...I found a FRESH new pair of my favorite socks before leaving for the Y:
FEETURES!!!
I have had problems with my glutes and hamstrings in the past and definitely have to make sure to keep them balanced and happy so I did my PT work and tried out the new moves as seen in Runner's World!  I loved this move:
Holy Hammies!
 
Followed by this move:
With ab pull in...
 
I also lifted back, biceps and triceps with the hubby...No cardio today but all strength.  I have noticed overall I am feeling a lot stronger and less fragile since I started paying attention to sports specific training.  

Showing our Mizuno love!!  BEST shoes ever:
#MizunoForLife
                                                    { Instagrammed @DErunningmom }

While we were at the gym the Great Harvest Bread Fairy ( aka: My Amazing Mom ) appeared at our house and dropped off some FRESH made bread and Cinnamon butter..
High 5 Fiber, Cinnamon Pull apart Bread and Lemon Dream Loaf

and Cameron thinks the butter is all his....Ummm I don't think so buddy!

What exercises do you do to stay injury free and balanced?!

Ever try Great Harvest Bread Company? 

Happy Running!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

New DO!!!

Monday after working 12 hour midnight shift and a quick nap I made my hubby join me for BodyPump at the Y...Before class I did a 4.2 mile run in 32 minutes then we went and got pumped:
This was Danny's first BodyPump class and I think he really liked it!  He had just finished playing in the Winter World's Softball Championship in Myrtle Beach so he was a little sore to start the class.  We also saw Janice and her hubby in class too...I love how many men take this class!  My 8 yr old son also got his workout on too in the youth fitness center...This is why the Bear Glasgow Y is so important to us...Fit Family!

Tuesday:  Amy's Spin class!!!!!!!!!!!!  I had to keep telling myself that this will make me stronger and make Boston easier to run.  She had a ton of hills and more hills and some huge HILLS!  I love her music also and it makes the time fly by.   After class I needed to shakeout my legs so I hopped on and ran a quick 4 miles in 28 minutes...Then my AMAZING mom texted me to grab lunch with her.  I am embarassed about the size of salad that I ate ever single bite of!  No pic because I inhaled it!  Oops. After lunch I was able to go and help with Chase's gym class and my goodness 2nd graders are hilarious...They had to jump rope for a straight 2 minutes without messing up....I may have to try this out..Haha!  Then we moved onto basketball....Chase made this momma proud! 

Today:  Tempo Run....2 mile warm up then 5 miles at 6:58-7:03 pace and a 2 mile cooldown...Love when the sweat drips off my elbows!
                                                       { Instagram @DErunningmom }

After my run I had a very important appointment........Hair Do!  I was in desperate need of a hair cut and highlight..
HOLY CRAP!
My hair dresser is fantastic and I refuse to go elsewhere but it had been almost 5 months since my last touch up!  Embarassing I tell ya....
Refreshed!
 
Is there anything better then having your hair washed and brushed by someone else?!?! And then the scalp massage!  Ahhhh.  And I actually don't have to mess it up until my sweatfest tomorrow..nice!

So this weekend is the Disney Princess Half  Marathon and I am soooooo excited for my friend Stephanie who is running her first half marathon!  She is going to kill it for sure and I cannot wait to hear all about it....It is going to be a warm race this year so if you are running remember to HYDRATE! 


Any other Disney Princesses racing this weekend?!?!  Are you wearing a costume to run?!

Happy Running!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Modern Essentials Med Spa!!

Today I started off my day with a FANTASTIC 18.60 mile run in 2:26...I met Angel and we ran our route in reverse order and my goodness it was good!!  We had to really hold back on our paces and force ourselves to slow down.  I LOVE when you see progress and increasing strength and speed in a training plan!  I kept my first 10-11 miles right at training pace or close to it and kicked it into high gear the last 7-8 miles.  I felt very strong today and even felt like I had a lot left in the tank when I was done!  I am really learning a lot from this training cycle and cannot wait to truly race! 
High Voltage!

Runner problems!!  Angel had to crack her toe and adjust her shoe on the HIGH VOLTAGE electrical box...Nice!  She survived and did not get shocked. 
Runner's High!!
After a nice warm shower I went to my friend Angela's new Med Spa...She and her mom just opened Modern Essentials Med Spa in Hockessin, DE.
Lovely Ladies!!

For the past 3 months my skin has been sooooo unhappy and inflamed.  I have tried so many different things and nothing has seemed to help but actually just makes it worse.  It has been extremely painful and I have become very self conscious about it.  Well... when I got the invitation to go to the open house I contacted Ang immediately and told her my situation...I feel so much better knowing who is doing the treatments and that they truly do work.    
MUST go here!!
So I had the HydraFacial and it was AMAZING...
My skin felt so clean and healthy instantly...the HydraFacial is a non-invasion, non-surgical procedure that shows results immediately.  It uses a vortex effect that feels like it is literally pulling the dirt and impurities right out of your skin!  There is a 4 step process:  Which does not take long
Step 1:  Cleansing and Exfoliation
Step 2:  Acid Peel ( helps loosen dirt from pores without irritation )
Step 3:  Extractions ( Painless extractions use vortex suction to clean out pores )
Step 4:  Hydration  ( Antioxidants and Hyaluronic Acid are  Vortex-Fused to nourish and protect )
                                                                                                                  Source

This may be life changing for me!  They also offer a ton of other services at the Spa also including many different types of massage ( which was also AMAZING especially post 18+ mile run today ), waxing, Botox and Fillers, facials, and i-Lipo Ultra+ ( Non-Invasive alternate to Liposuction ). 
Loved the massage!
 The Spa was beautiful and very personal!  I felt totally comfortable and relaxed... The entire staff was full of information and extremely friendly.  I highly recommend treating yourself to a service here at Modern Essentials Med Spa!  They also carry a full line of skin care products...
Dermalogica

Highly Recommend!
Modern Essentials Med Spa
2111 Graves Rd  Hockessin, DE 19707
(302) 442-6367
www.ModernEssentialsMedSpa.com

Please check them out...you will be amazed!!

What do you use for skin care?

Happy Running!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Sticking with It...

Wow,  today was almost 60* here in Delaware and such a tease considering when I am out running in the early am tomorrow it will be 30*... Anyway Happy Day after Valentine's Day!!  I was scheduled off yesterday from work but my goodness all the babies wanted to be born so I got called in to help from 3pm to 7 pm...But before I went in I had to  do my speedwork!   I have to admit I actually enjoyed this set: 

2.6 mile warm up in 20 minutes ( nice easy pace )
2 x 1600 meter  1st 6:44, 2nd 6:40
2 x 1200 meter  both @ 4:48
2 x 1000 meter both @ 3:49
1 x 800 meter @ 3:00
Recovery interval of 400 meter between each repeat then 1 mile cool down @ 7:47


I was a sweaty mess and felt like I had worked hard but not completely dead at the end.  Happy V-Day to me.... Give me a TM/Run and my Mizuno Wave Rider 16's and I am in LOVE!
My little men got me this awesome card
My Valentine's
 
From the Hubby
Today I kept the streak alive and did BodyPump again!  I actually was looking forward to this class and was excited to get my pump on...I warmed up with 30 minutes on the stairmonster and WOW that thing kicks my rear!  I increased my weights today since on Monday I underestimated myself and went to lite.  I felt the burn today and am excited to see how my body changes and gets stronger each week! 
My BodyPump set up!
The boys and I hung out with my mom, dad and brother and had an amazing meal at Brio tonight and I was craving protein big time...BUT since we are celebrating Lent and no meat on Friday's I had this beautiful dish instead:
Salmon with spinach, sweet potatoes, asparagus, roasted red peppers and balsamic glaze!!  YUMMMMMMY!

Well I have an 18 miler on the plan for the morning so time to go to bed!

Anyone racing this weekend?

What's you favorite weight lifting exercise?

Happy Running!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Homemade Soup and Bodypump

Yesterday's workout was light stretching and foam rolling plus grocery shopping!  The boy decided they wanted Mexican food for dinner so we went to one of their favorite places:
 
California Tortilla!  The boys love the drink machine and make your own chicken fajitas.  The food here is very fresh and I am addicted to their salsa!  I always get the same thing...Southwestern Grilled Chicken salad with Honey Lime dressing..
Love that guacamole!  The boys also like to go here because of all the pretty college girls that oooh and ahhh over them! 
How you doin'
After dinner I stocked up on some fresh produce and other essentials that we were in need of..

Today's workout was a nice tempo run that looked like this...2 mile warm up in 15 minutes then 3 miles in 21:12 then 1.7 mile cooldown...Note to self DO NOT drink apple cider vinegar BEFORE running!

I made a deal with myself to weight lift/train more to help prevent injuries and imbalances.  So today I took BodyPump at the Y. .

"BODYPUMP™, the original LES MILLS™ barbell class, will sculpt, tone and strengthen your entire body, fast!

Great bodies aren't born, they are transformed, using the proven BODYPUMP™ formula: THE REP EFFECT™ a breakthrough in resistance workout training. Focusing on low weight loads and high repetition movements, you'll burn fat, gain strength and quickly produce lean body muscle conditioning.

BODYPUMP™ is one of the world's fastest ways to get in shape as it challenges all of your major muscle groups while you squat, press, lift and curl.

The cutting-edge BODYPUMP™ choreography, and chart-topping music is refreshed every three months, so with your choice of weight and highly-trained instructors you can get the group effect and the results you've been looking for!"

It has been close to 2 years since I last took this class and I think it is safe to say I will be nice and sore tomorrow...A Compex Muscle Stimulator would be great for recovery post-bodypump class!

This was my gear for pump:
BODYPUMP
I love that it is total body and the instructor really focuses on proper form and movement.  One thing that I tend to forget about during marathon training is how important it is to lift and strengthen those muscles that well help me stay strong and prevent injuries.  I am really excited to see how I do and how much stronger I feel after doing this for a few weeks/months!

Since today was rainy and my belly needed some comfort food I made HOMEMADE soup and it was amazing:
Chopping all the goods
All finished!
How do you strength train?  BodyPump, TRX, Personal Trainer, Crossfit?

Happy Running!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Last one standing (running)...

To catch up on the past few days...Lots of miles and lots of working has been going on.

Wednesday:  So excited to go see my PT friend and get my cranky left hip/leg straightened out and put back in alignment.  It is amazing to me how he just knows exactly what to tweak and how to correct the imbalance before an injury happens.  So... more hamstring and glute work for me.
I did a tempo run that was rough and felt like I was breathing through a straw!  I warmed up with 1.5 miles @ 8:19 pace the ran 6 miles in 43 mins  and was done.  I felt like I could have pushed harder but the lack of breathing made me a little dizzy so I stopped!  So smart!  I also got to hang out with this little man and my niece:
LOVE
Thursday:  I decided to swim since it has been a few months since I last flopped around in the pool.  Well I didn't suck as bad as I thought I was going to!  I swam for 45 minutes and did mixed strokes and drills.  Maybe this is a sign I should take this class:
I worked a 12 hour midnight shift that night and really was hurting from the swim!  My left lower back was not happy with me....So I think my swimming form may not be that great..Need to work on that asap.

Friday:  Complete rest day and working again!

Saturday:  20 miler on the TM....After sleeping a few hours after work I mentally prepared for the long haul at the Y.  No music for the first hour then I had to turn on the tunes!  All was going well until I hit the emergency stop button on accident at 16 miles!!!  I HATE that button and where it is located!  I took this moment to refill my water bottle and reset for the final 4....Well my legs were done and confused as to why I was making them run...First 16 miles in 2:03 the last 4 miles in 35 minutes.  Lou ( Y wellness coach ) let me finish just in time to close down the Y....
Last person left in the gym!  I have to say the last hour there was no one running near me but I thought the gym was open until 10 pm but nope they close at 8 pm...Thank goodness I got this run in!   I made sure to stretch and foam roll as soon as I got home before heading into work for my final night of this stretch.  I also wore my ProCompression socks and a pair of compression pants to work under my scrubs!  Keeping it tight!  I have to say I am in love with PRO compression and they truly help me recover faster and make my legs feel much better at work.  The have a Sock of the Month special going on right now that I love...Green and Hot pink!!!
Awesome Features
Green-pink With these great features, our "Marathon" full-length, graduated compression socks are an amazing value:

- Promotes blood flow for faster recovery
- Foot-bed compression
- Built-in "Stabilizer Zone" for optimal support
- Advanced fiber blend manages moisture
- Made in USA
- mmHg rating 22-26


Treat yourself to a new pair of neon green graduated compression socks.
Save 40% and get FREE shipping!

Check them out and enter code SOM213 for 40% off and free shipping!

 The only other thing I was wishing I had was a Compex  muscle stimulator:

My PT uses stim on my legs/tendons and I love it.  This little portable stim machine would be perfect after my long runs or hard speedwork days!  Maybe one day!!

How do you recover from long runs?!

Any one else run loooooong on the TM this weekend? 

Happy Running!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Treadmill Love ( or Hate )...

Sunday was a complete rest day for me especially after my long run on Saturday and then having a low grade fever and awful cough!  Plus having to work a 12 hour midnight shift also. 

Monday after a much needed post work nap and NyQuil I decided to do a little run and see how I felt.  Well,  I warmed up for 20 minutes 2.5 miles and felt pretty darn good so I decided to do my speedwork...5 x 1 mile repeats that went like this 6:58, 6:53, 6:44, 6:40, 6:40 then 2 mile cool down.  I surprised myself on this run and was glad to have fit in in this week.  I go through spurts where I could do every single run on the treadmill and LOVE this machine..then there are some times that I think it would kill me to do a single mile on the mill.  Right now I am in my LOVE phase so all is good but when I am not I have to trick my mind on the mill and here are some of my mind games:

1.  Speedwork:  Like I mentioned above I did mile repeats but you can do repeats of any distance or time.  I am following a marathon training plan and one of my weekly runs is always for speed.  For me the treadmill is the best way to do my speedwork...and the Y TM actually as a "speed interval" program where you can set your jog speed (RI) and you run speed all with a push of a button!  Love this!  If you are new to speedwork start with shorter intervals and increase as you get more comfortable.  Here is a link to some ideas of intervals. 

2.  Hills:  I like to do different hills intervals also when the boredom sets in.  The change in elevation keeps things interesting and challenging.  One thing about Delaware and my routes I run there really are not many significant hills and with Boston right around the corner hills and declines are very important right now.  Once again the Y TM also has some pretty awesome hill programs.

3.  Progression Run:  One of my favorite TM workouts is a progression run.  The goal is to try to run each mile faster then the last and end with a pretty swift pace.  This has really help me in the final miles of my races and has trained my legs to push when they are tired.  Plus it makes the run go by faster!

4:  Match minute for minute:   This type of run I will run either for speed or for hills...I will jog at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes then increase either my speed or incline for 3 minutes then return to jog pace or flat road.  I vary the time each interval 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 and so on. 

5. Song Game:  I also like to put my play list on shuffle and then when my fast pace or working songs come on I push the pace for the entire song or do a hill climb. 

So these are just a few things that help me change up the monotony of the mill!

Today was a cross training day so I took Amy's Spin class and it was ALL work NO fluff!  I was dripping with sweat when I was done and felt great to use different muscles.  I did 25 miles in the 60 minute class.  I also did my kettlebell work:

Squats with 40# KB
Lunges with 15# KB
Deadlifts with 40# KB
Hamstring Curls on Swiss ball
Push-ups
4 x 10 reps each

All finished and ready to refuel with my Premier Protein...Which there are coupons for in this weeks ads!!!
 
 
Yummy!
Then this beauty!  Spinach, Chicken, Almonds, Cranberries, Apples, Gorgonzola, and Apple Cider Vinaigrette!!

Did you love or hate the TM? 

What tricks help you on the TM?

Saturday, February 2, 2013

18+ miles in 18*

Brrrrrr!!!  Today I had my longest run since the Goofy's Challenge and it was less than ideal conditions outside.  Angel,  Dawn, and I all had 18 miles on tap today so we met up at 8 am and it was only 18 degrees out and at some points there was an awful headwind that took your breath away!  We stuck together for the first few miles then we all were hitting our marathon training paces for the middle miles.  We had water planted around mile 8-9 and because it was so cold out the water started to freeze...one of the roads we run on was covered in snow and ice so it made for rough traction.  Thank goodness for my amazing Mizuno Wave Riders for keeping my toes warm and me upright:
I ended the run today with 19.46 miles in 2:33:48 and felt pretty good especially after being so sick the past few days.  I have been battling this virus ( cough, congestion, sore throat, no voice, and chills ) since last Saturday and was really worried about how I was going to do today.  I am so glad I have my runner girls to make me get out the door and go run with them in this kind of weather because if I was doing this by myself I so would have just ran on the treadmill!  Some of my winter running essentials include:

My Northface running gloves:

I love these gloves and wear them all the time!  They are great and work very well with smart phones. 

Oiselle Lesley Running Tights

LOVE these tights!!!

Feetures Running Socks



Ear warmer/Hat ... I have to have my ears covered especially on windy days or else it is so painful!

Chapstick...Enough said!

I have to say I am definitely a warm weather girl and prefer the sunshine but I truly love running and will do it in just about any type of condition! 

After I thawed out and refueled we decided to take the boys for a hike at the state park by our house:
My Love
We are ready for the wilderness
    The boys LOVE to be outside and we had such a blast hiking in the "winter wonderland" as they were calling it!  There is something so special about the simple moments with kids! 

Hot Chocolate!


Anyone else running in the cold today?

What are some of your winter running essentials?

Happy Running!