Leap Year, What's The Big Deal?

I mean, I get that you only come around once every four years, but what's the big deal? I'm inclined to agree with a tweet I read earlier -- I'd like to trade a Wednesday in February for a Saturday in June, who do I speak to about this? (sorry I have no idea who to credit but I thought it was hilarious and agree wholeheartedly!!)

One good thing about today was that apparently Leap Year Day, or whatever the cool kids are calling it, has become a mini Black Friday. Who knew? 

I saw discounts at Road ID (pcLEAP2012 for 20 % off), Active Bands (still going use LEAP40 for 40% off), ANDDDDDDDDDDD Rock 'N' Roll did 29 bucks off a race over 2 hours and 9 minutes today.

I couldn't control myself.

Consider me signed up!! This will be my first RNR race (unless I can manage to squeeze another one in which I'd REALLY like to do so I could get heavy metal) and I'm super excited if you can't tell. I'd only avoided them so far due to the high cost and crappy timing. With the coupon code and registering so early, I got signed up for 61 bucks! NOT BAD AT ALL!!

Have you ever ran a RNR race? 

Did you get any good deals today?

What A Beautiful Day!!

I went to the gym this morning for arms and shoulders. And can I just mention that I am freaking out about the Spartan Sprint that's in 4 weeks? I've been watching videos on YouTube and they are not helping. The most troubling part is that the Spartan races do not give you a list of obstacles to expect (yes I get why they don't but it still stresses me!). What I have picked up on is that if you cannot complete an obstacle you have to do 10 squat thrusts from hell burpees. So I've added them to my workouts now (And just FYI, burpees, mountain climbers and push ups are my least favorite exercises!).


Anyways....  A little later Riley and I headed out for a nice and slow 2 mile walk.

He did really well and now he's pooped. Either laying around or walking around with his tongue hanging out all over the place!

It is so nice out today I hate to be in at all. I laid out on our deck for awhile and read but it's just a LITTLE to chilly for me to be outside and not be moving around. I am SO ready for spring to be here! (Not that I'm complaining, this winter has been very mild!).

Ch-Ch-Changes

So first, sorry I haven't blogged in almost a week (or maybe you liked that!) and second, sorry that this is a text heavy post with no pictures!!

On January 1st (I know, I know), I set a goal to lose 30 pounds by the end of June. Being that 30 pounds seems like a whole lot of weight, I made 6 mini goals:  lose 5 pounds per month. Completely reasonable being as most sources seem to agree that healthy weight loss is around 2 pounds per week. So far so good, I lost 5 in January and I'm set to do well for February also.

I'm hoping that the mini goals will motivate me and provide the difference between this time and the last million times I've tried to lose weight. Usually I just say that I want to lose XX pounds before summer or something. Only when it's a week before vacation does it hit me that I'm not where I wanted to be. I always lose a little, but never enough to make a signifant difference for me.

What am I doing differently?

• I'm using an app on my phone called "Lose It" to track calories.
• It's free if you want to check it out (and you can add me as a friend by searching my email address -- 3xacharmrunner@gmail.com).
• You tell it what you weigh and how much you want to lose and it gives you calorie limits for the day.
• You can follow your friends to provide motivation to each other (they can't see your weight, don't worry!!). They can see if you aren't tracking your calories (and scold you) or see how many awesome workouts you're doing (and praise you!).
• HOW HAS IT HELPED?
•  I seriously had no idea how many calories I was eating and how out of control I was. There were times when I was consuming more than half of the calories I should be using for a day in ONE MEAL.
• I do really well with numbers and small, achievable goals. This lays it all out for me and I have small things to work for each day. When my motivation is low I just think, do you really want to eat that fill in the blank with some crap food? You're going to have to log it and it's going to stare you in the face every time you open the app. Or I look back on all the days I've done so well and stayed within my allotted calories. I don't want to throw that work away!
• I am learning how many calories my workouts deduct and how to use those calories but not abuse them. Many workouts deplete your body and you need to refuel, but you don't get a free pass.
• I'm trying to work out five times a week.
• I've started going back to the gym in the mornings (unless I have a reason to go at night).
• I love to sleep in, but what I love even more is having that awesome feeling all day that I've already accomplished so much!
• The gym is WAY less crowded in the AM so I am less self conscious and I can get everything I need to get done in less time.
• I've mixed up my routine.
• I'm not strictly following a running plan. I'm aiming to run three times a week but I'm not stressing about doing a certain amount of miles on a certain day. I'm trying to listen to my body more. (Not following a plan could bite me in the ass but this has yet to be determined!).
• I'm adding weight training at a goal of three times per week. Remember when I told you about the plan my little brother made for me? I did it for one week in December then quit when we went to Colorado and never started back. That resumed this past week.
• I'm trying to add yoga on AT LEAST one of my rest days. My body seems to do so much better when I take the time to stretch and clear my mind.

Do you have any advice for me?
Have you ever had a huge goal that seemed unachievable? What did you do?

Strawberry Plains Half Marathon In Pictures and my Playlist

Not sure why I didn't post these with my race recap, but oh well. Here you go:

A little snow and a little hill.

My face is frozen!

In the car afterwards... nice hair!

MEDAL!

I had to drive 2 hours home from the race... Even with the heat on full blast I was FREEZING!!! Had to rock the hoodie the whole way. 

Traffic was at a standstill because an 18 wheeler had broken down. I just wanted to get home and shower!!!!!

Just a couple of new ones but I really liked this playlist. Lots of variety and it kept me going! If you ever want to check out any of my playlists, I've made a new tab (it's quite originally called PLAYLISTS) and you can find it here.

PureFit Nutrition Bars

About a month ago I was contacted by Emily at PureFit asking if I would like to sample and review their nutrition bars. Sample food? Absolutely!

The thing that jumped out at me more than anything was that these bars are made by a runner for runners. I struggle with nutrition and fueling my body properly. I feel like so many products out there just don't get it. I need fuel for my active lifestyle without 302194738 billion calories.

Emily set me up with a sample pack featuring five flavors:  Granola Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, Berry Almond Crunch, Chocolate Brownie, and Almond Crunch. Are you noticing a theme? They like their crunch! And this is definitely something I can get behind. How many nasty protein bars are out there that have the consistency of Play Doh? YUCK. 


When I cut into the Peanut Butter Crunch bar, I was skeptical. It looked doughy. 

But, as my shotty photography doesn't highlight at all, there are little crispy crunchers inside the bar! Almost like a rice crispy type crackle. These completely change the consistency of the bar, making it so much more enjoyable to eat than other protein bars I've tried (I've tried Met-Rx, Supreme Protein, and Pure Protein). 


As stated on their website:


Since 2001, we’ve been producing high-quality, all natural, 40/30/30 nutrition bars that offer great taste without all the additives and sugar that are often included in other “nutrition bars.”  PureFit bars do not contain dairy, wheat, gluten, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, so they offer a sound nutritional choice.


If you'd like to try the bars head over to their website and use the promo code:  PROMO25. It'll take 25% off your first order!

**Purefit supplied me with a sample pack of bars. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.**

Strawberry Plains Half Marathon:: 1 of 12 in 2012

So if you follow me on twitter or read my last post  (basically if you pay me any attention whatsoever) you know I was freaking out a little nervous about this race.

I made my mind up about several things though:

1. I'm running 12 half marathons this year. They aren't all going to be perfect and they aren't all going to be PR's. 
2. Run what you can, walk what you can't. There's no shame in walking. 
3. Have a good time and enjoy it. Be thankful. As many of you this weekend, I ran in honor of Sherry Arnold.  This tragedy really hits home and I pray for peace for her friends and family. 

I went and picked up my packet on Friday night. There was no expo and pickup was at a store called Academy Sports and Outdoors. I quickly picked up my packet and headed to the hotel. 

I love the shirt and have worn it all day (it's a long sleeve tech t)

I put all my stuff out for the next morning (as usual I couldn't decide what to wear) and got to bed early.

Here's what I decided on:

This was my first time using my iFitness single pouch belt. I used a double pouch for my first half and loved it and felt the same about this one! THESE BELTS DO NOT MOVE.  I'm planning on comparing the two in a later post, because they both have pros and cons. (iFitness is also sponsoring 12 in 2012 and gave us all single pouch belts free of charge). 

I also wore some Nike gloves to keep my hands warm! 

I drove to the race, parked and got ready to run! It was nice because they had the school's gym open so we didn't have to wait in the cold. The race started promptly (I think... I honestly don't notice unless it's a long delay) at 9am. 

I tried to start slow but as usual I think I'm way faster than I actually am at the beginning of a race. I crossed the first mile marker around 9:30. Crazy. 

The race was out and back in a T shape. I actually like out and back courses because I LOVE the back part. Knowing that I've already ran something just makes me that much more confident that I can do it again. I dunno. It was also on beautiful land. I only saw 1 human spectator (walking her horse out to pasture) and lots of animals:  turkeys, horses, cows, goats, and dogs... even a chocolate lab!

There was a lot of snow and wind, but luckily it wasn't really sticking. My toes were a little cold during the beginning but luckily they warmed up quickly. Here's what it looked like:

Anyways, I have no idea about my splits because I need a "Garmin for Dummies" book. Still don't know how to upload anything. At Mile 12 I knew I could break 2:30 so I got going. 

Chip Time:  2:28:14  Average Pace:  11:19

THAT'S A NEW PR!!!!!! I am extremely happy with my time. Most of my long runs have been at a 12 min/mile pace on a treadmill with no incline. Definitely a great start to 2012!!

My First Half of 2012 is in Two Days!!

My first half marathon of 2012 is on Saturday!!! I'm excited and nervous. When I ran my first half I was confident in my training even though it was my first half. This time around I'm not as confident in my training. My longest run was 10 miles last Sunday and 95% of my training has been on the treadmill.... With no incline.

But I'm going to make the best of it and not stress over it. It's not like I don't have at least eleven other half's this year!

After my 10 miler on Superbowl Sunday (had to make room for all kinds of delicious food):

I was pretty good though.

One of the trainers at my gym is having a 12 week fitness and weight loss challenge. It's free to participate so you know I jumped all over that. Our initial meeting was last Thursday and she got all my measurements, my weight, and body fat percentage (YIKES!) for the weight loss portion and then I did wall sits, push ups, plank and a half mile run for the fitness portion.

I meet with her weekly to get measurements and we assess fitness every 4 weeks. I'm really excited about the challenge and the accountability and motivation that it provides! I weighed in today and lost 3 pounds!!!

Just A Quick One

I really want to see this movie:

But let's be honest... Reese you'd better choose Chris, because Tom Hardy is mine.

Mine.

Rear View Mirror: January 2012

I ran 45 miles this month. Considering I was sidelined with shingles and bronchitis for the first week and a half, I consider this to be a great big accomplishment. I didn't race any this month and I only ran outside twice. 


I finished reading 2 books this month (The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest). Really enjoyed this series. 


Oddly, I only saw two movies at the theater:  Haywire and One For The Money. 


I got to go see my mom and have dinner with her one night and our friends from KY (Becca and Sam) got to come visit for a weekend. 


I have become obsessed with some new TV shows:  Big Bang Theory and Gossip Girl. 


I lost 5 pounds this month!!! 






Did you read any good books this month?

What I've Been Listening To In January

I haven't shared a lot of this on the blog but I LOVE music. iTunes gift cards are like gold to me and iTunes 'shopping sprees' are my favorite. I love finding new (to me) music [and pout like crazy when radio gets ahold of it and plays the crap out of it].

I thought I'd start sharing my playlists on here in case you all are interested. I'll try to do one a month and I'll definitely do race playlists. So in true Courtney-like fashion, here's my January playlist (yes I know it's February).


We Found Love - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
Internet Killed the Video Star - The Limousines
Helena Beat - Foster The People
Midnight City - M83
Ni**as in Paris - Kanye West & Jay Z
Blackout - Breathe Carolina
Tonight Is The Night - Outasight
I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
Kids - MGMT
Even The Losers - Tom Petty
Fell In Love Without You - Motion City Soundtrack
Words Meet Heartbeats - Parachute
Still Not Over You - Gavin Degraw