Getting lost will help you find yourself

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I don't know how to say this but,

I'm kind of a big deal.

Why?

Cuz I got mah bootay out there and finally ran!  Hello, my name is Brandi.  I haven't run in 14 days.  Well get outa here sad sack and give this girl a high five!  Legs felt awesome although I think it was because it was so gosh darn cold that I couldn't feel them!  Some tightness in the IT band but was able to work through it by imagining the lovely foam rolling sesh waiting for me at home.  The only downer was a side stitch that I tried to breathe through but kept nagging me. Other than that, sunny weather, fresh legs and good times!

So it was my first run in 20 degree weather.  I ended up wearing 2 long sleeve moisure wicking shirts and my Brooks RNR jacket, long Moving Comfort pants, compression socks, hat and some gloves.  It was definitely a great combo to start out because I sure was chilly.  I may or may not have gotten a little too warm in my core area, the jury is still out on that one.  Overall, good outfit for a cold run.

On another note, Chelsea over at Will Run for Food posted a link to this article and booyah! it is awesome.  As Chelsea says, Everyone. Go read this. NOW!

Tomorrow starts the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  Head on over and sign up!  Here's a little info on the challenge from Run to the Finish:

The 3rd annual Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge is here!! We have had over 120 participants for the last two years and I expect even more this year. The goal of HBBC is to provide a little additional motivation to stay active and make good choices throughout the holiday season. The stats say the average American may gain at LEAST 5lbs…but even if you gain 2lbs and don’t lose it that adds up each year.



WHY PARTICIPATE??

A. We had an awesome time! The involvement from everyone and encouragement is amazing.

B. It kept folks from gaining holiday poundage

C. Some seriously good prizes…Sweaty Bands, Once Again Nut Butter, Lara bar, New Balance Shorts, Oiselle Running tank, CEP socks, green teas, yoga bag…to name a few…more details to come.


Have a great weekend!!

It's Bootay Kickin' Time!

So, I've decided to join the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge over at Run To The Finish  I haven't been doing so well since Halloween....a whole lotta candy and a whole lotta slackin' in the workout department. The statistics don't look to good for the average joe over the holidays.  A 7 to 10 pound weight gain isn't what I want to see at all! 

I think a nice group challenge is just what I need.  Head on over and let's kick some Holiday Bootie!

Laziness mixed with a lil randomness

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

 

 

I had this gem hidden away on my computer somewhere and found it this morning.  I'm reading your loud and clear General Patton, over. (that was me on a walkie talkie, oh yeah, that just happened!)  The past two weeks have been me enabling myself with the "your tired, you need to sleep".  Side note, I do believe that you need to listen to your body and not over do it and be aware of over training, etc..  For those of you who read my little ramblings, you know that I would and probably never will be accused of over training, I'm lucky if I can follow my schedule at all! I make sure I wake up early enough to get my run in on the days that I work but end up laying there talking myself out of it or hitting snooze because I'm just too tuckered out. Secretly my inner self knows what a crock that line is but I still lay there.  On the days that I'm not working, my new excuses include

• It's a new gym, I don't know when the cardio equipment will be less full. 
• The weather is too craptastic and I hate the treadmill - see above
• the girls need to be here at a certain time and need me to volunteer or I have only x amount of time and just realistically can't fit it in before they need to be somewhere
• I've got to bake
• Peace in the Middle East will be restored if I just finish reading all of my google reader
• My social security number and birth date were stolen and fraudulently used.
• I'm really just too tired from spin class 5 days ago.

As you can tell through my sad attempt at humor, some of those excuses are real and some are just, well, stupid.  And that my folks is what excuses are, kinda lame and pretty stupid. 

So, for the running update, I've ran once each week for the past two weeks.  Both very good runs.  I do feel really bummed that I have to take this show indoors.  I guess that means I'm really gonna have to dig deep and just bust these runs out.  Any help/suggestions/pity would help.  On the upside, I've been getting some great cross training in.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE group power.  It's kinda like Body Pump, at least I assume it is.  I'm really diggin' spin class and I have a pal to go with so I'm less inclined to skip either.  Interesting to note is that I'm  normally a really outgoing person but I really really deep down hate doing new things alone.  That's where my pal Y comes in handy.  She'll do any class with me.

Weight loss update, last week was a great week for pound annihilation.  Weird thing is, I ate all of my points, flex and probably my work out points. (Yeah, I follow WW, some times more religiously than others) and lost 2.6 pounds.  Definitely something to look into.  I usually try to eat my allotted points only for the day and have had success in the weight loss department doing that, 1/2 marathon training excluded! 

So, on to some randomness:
Miss J is now a cheerleader on top of her busy dance schedule, my insomnia is out of control but then again, so is my sleep schedule, vegan and healthy baking makes me happy, I can't wait to go to Group Power today, trying to raise these two ladies is tough, the excuse for not working out because my identity was stolen is true, I am still inspired by one of my co-workers/readers, I still love running, my new glasses make me look like Christian Soriano, not sure if I like it, Mama Pea's recipes are absolutely delish, I don't take enough advantage of my ease of access to fresh salmon which I remedied by making the best salmond dip evah! I'm mentally depleted from work this week, Dean and Deluca makes the best coffee and finally I think I'll be ending this overly long post (sorry) by possibly making the girls a delicious breakfast and then some running!