9 Mile Run Day!

So when I last left you, I was suffering from some shin splints DREADING my long run day this weekend. I ended up not running Thursday, Friday AND Saturday opting to strength train Thursday and Friday and kept on icing. Also? I invested in perhaps the greatest invention ever. Seriously

(Yes I got the pink one)

OMG!!!!! It's so....it's incredible. It's amazing. My legs have never felt better. I have no idea why I waited so long to buy one. I combined this amazing yoga sequence for runners from Fitsugar with using the roller and have never felt better. So needless to say my 9 mile run went awesome today! 9.02 miles in 1:26:40. If you're curious and feel like stalking me you can check out my Nike+ page! 

Alright last thing that I think helped me out keeping me pumped today was my new/rearranged playlist. So here it is in case you're looking for some new tunes to keep you going:

Naughty Girl- Beyonce

Starships- Nicki Minaj

Yeah!- Usher ft. Lil John & Ludacris

Stronger- Kanye West

Dirt Off Your Shoulder- Jay-Z

Lose Yourself- Eminem

Glad You Came- The Wanted

Dynamite- Taio Cruz

When I Grow Up- Pussycat Dolls

Give Me Everything- Pitbull ft. Neyo

Shake That- Eminem ft. Nate Dogg

Sexy And I Know It- LMFAO

Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme)- Bill Conti

Sorry For Party Rocking- LMFAO

River Deep, Mountain High- Celine Dion

Rocketeer- Far East Movement ft. Ryan Tedder

Hello- Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette

Party Rock Anthem- LMFAO

I definitely need something that I can either 1.) Picture myself dancing to, or 2.) Something that makes me picture myself as a total badass (see Eminem, Rocky Theme)

Can't believe I'm in my 8th week of training! Only 5 weeks left until race day!!!!

Cheers!

Marisa

My worst enemy is back....

That's right I'm talking about shin splints. They are back, ruining my life as usual. I was supposed to run 5 miles tonight but by 3 miles I was hurting and by 4 I had to call it quits. Sooooo frustrating but better to take care of it before anything worse happens. (re: stress fracture) So I'm sitting here with my ice pack hoping that I can get this taken care of asap. 9 mile long run this weekend and I reallllly can't afford to miss it . I've been working so hard, I really would hate to see all my training go out the window. Anyone have advice for shin splints? I've been icing and ibuprofen-ing. Tomorrow is 3 mile run day, should I go through with it or skip and strength train instead? Those wiser and more experienced in marathon training I desperately need your advice! I'll update you all tomorrow on my "condition". Until then I leave you with this.

Cheers!

Marisa

Oh hey this blog is still here....

Okay no excuses this time. I really just didn't feel like blogging. I had no motivation, nothing to write about. I was just completely uninspired and rather than bore you with the mundane activities that consume my life ( I had oatmeal for breakfast!) I just decided to stop all together.

But that ends now because I once again have purpose.

I have joined the Under Armor's What's Beautiful Challenge. Real simple, I declared my goal and have 9 weeks to see it through. Under Armor has a series of challenges that need to be completed in those 9 weeks and I plan on document them here as well as on my page along with all the other things that happen with training. I really hope to make it to the finally three and be the new face of Under Armor, but am looking forward to this journey no matter what the outcome. So check it out! Sign up yourself! It's already been so much fun and inspiring seeing other women making a commitment to fitness and bettering themselves all around.

You can find my page here

Under Armor's What's Beautiful Challenge

Cheers!

Marisa

An Update

Hello all. It's been a very long time since we last blogged. I'm alive and well. Better than well in fact! As I'm sure you can imagine moving and getting settled in a new city, as well as moving in with your boyfriend and both of you getting settled takes some time. I really just needed to focus all my efforts on that and finding a job. When I last wrote I said that I was up for a job and would be finding out one way or the other about it by the end of that week. Never heard from them at all. I even emailed their HR/recruiters to inquire if the position had been filled, and never heard back from them. So perhaps I dodged a bullet on that one. I did however find a job shortly after that and I'm happy to report that I am loving it. It's a much bigger company than I am used to and I have way more responsibilities, but I welcome the challenge and the opportunity to learn and grow. 

Drew and I are doing well, and so far we've encountered no major conflicts. While I like the apartment we live in now, it is only a one bedroom and we both would like to have more space. So we are currently on the hunt for a house. It is proving more daunting that I expected. But we are on a month to month lease so we don't have any real pressure to find something quick. I want it to be something I love rather than just a place I wouldn't mind living in. 

So, that's been the happenings around here. Drew and I are are playing on a kickball team with some of my work co-workers this spring that I'm excited about. Also I've signed up for the Dam to Dam this year and hope to have better results and a non fractured foot this year. I've also signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon and am sooooo excited to tackle this challenge. It will be tough but I cannot wait for the feeling of achievement you get when you finish a distance race. 2012 is sure shaping up to be amazing!

I can't wait to catch up with everyone . I hope your 2012's are just as amazing!

Cheers!

Marisa

Motivate Me Monday

Okay so I totally failed this week. This weeks challenge was to try a new class at the gym or new workout video at home. On Friday before I left for Minneapolis, I ran into a friend at the gym who suggested I come to spin class Monday morning. I thought, perfect! I've never done a spin class before and it would be perfect for MMM. Then I had a little problem on the way home from Minnesota and did not get home until late and knew there was no way I'd be dragging myself out of bed for spin class. (I got to Medford and realized that my work laptop was sitting on Drew's kitchen table.) So next week will be a double MMM as I fully intend on still attending the spin class next week and taking on the new weeks challenge. (Successfully this time)

As a cop out, let me offer you this.

Friday I drove straight to Drew's work to meet with one of his co-workers who has ran the Pikes Peak Marathon.  Yes it is exactly what it sounds like. A marathon up and down Pikes Peak in Colorado, one of the Colorado 14ers. ( A mountain 14,000ft or over) I want to do the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2012, which is just a half marathon to the top of Pike's Peak and then someone drives you down. It was inspiring to talk to him about it, as I was terrified I would die on the mountain due to the altitude and not being acclimated. However he told me I"d be fine as long as I train well, the altitude should not be a problem. So excited to start training in January for it. It's going to be a crazy adventure but such a great accomplishment when I'm done. I can't wait :)

(yes I hope to run to the top of this.)

(Aaaanndd I hope it doesn't look like this )

This weeks challenge is to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I am really going to need motivation for this one. I'm so bad at drinking water. Thanks to Ashley, Amanda and Whitney, they're so kind and patient because I'm pretty sure I did the link up wrong....again. I swear girls next week I will get it right!

Motivation Cheers!

Marisa

Motivate Me Monday

Hello! Welcome new followers and thank you to new commentors! I appreciate you stopping by. Today is the start of something new and I'm very excited to be a part of it: Motivate Me Monday. It is a link up hosted by Ashley , Amanda , and Whitney to help keep us motivated, support each other and trade tips, tricks, recipes and the like. This weeks question for the link up was what area or muscle of your body is your favorite to work out, why, and what work outs do you do? Without a doubt my favorite area to work out is my upper body. I love it all, weight machines, free weights, "dance arms" exercises. I was always teased because of my tiny arms growing up and now I love working them out, building muscle and seeing that beautiful definition. Take that every one who made fun of my puny arms! If I had to pick a favorite muscle in my arms that I love working it would definitely be the deltoids. I love my shoulders so much, they've never looked better! I love doing lateral raises in front of the mirrors (whatev don't judge me, I enjoy looking at my muscles!) so I can make sure that I'm doing it correctly and avoid injury. Physical therapy for a bum knee and a stress fracture are quite enough for one year. So what about you guys? What do you love working out the most? Or better yet, what do you hate working out? (Abs for me!)  Post any questions you may have on fitness/working out etc... and I will gladly answer them. And of course, join the link up and get motivated!

30 Day Challenge

Here is a topic that I rarely ever talk about or discuss: diet and exercise. I'm not a subscriber to any sort of plan or method, and not because I don't believe that they work. (Although if I'm going to be completely honest I do think some of it is brainwashing) Luckily, I've been blessed with two things that have aided in not ever having to go on a diet : good genetics and athleticism. I've been an athlete since I was 6. I played softball until I was 12 then switched to soccer, started basketball, volleyball, dropped volleyball and basketball and took up tennis and kept soccer in HS and in college kept playing tennis and took up running. I also grew up with a health nut of a mom and did not experience Taco Bell until junior high. So while I have never been on Atkins or South Beach or Weight Watchers, I understand that some people need the structure, guidance and knowledge of others to help them get in shape and learn better nutrition. So where am I going with all this?

As you all know I've been traveling a lot, and with traveling comes more meals out and less exercise. I do my best to keep it healthy when I'm on the road but sometimes you just don't have a whole lot of options. So after many weekends on the go I've been feeling a little out of sorts and out of shape with my traveling diet and lack of exercise. Enter my very own 30 Day Challenge. I came up with a workout schedule for 30 days that includes a combination of running, strength training, cross training and rest days. So far I'm right on track and it hasn't been too terrible, although at the start of my 4 mile run yesterday I thought I was doomed. In true runners fashion though the endorphins kicked in eventually and my runners high carried me through. Also I'm hoping this challenge will get me to the gym more often. Since, you know, I pay for a membership and all but rarely ever go there.

So join me in a 30 Day Challenge and really test yourself. I promise you can do it, and it doesn't even have to involve running if you're not a runner! Substitute it for cycling, dance, power walking whatever suits you as long as you're moving. I've decided to start doing twitter updates to hold myself accountable so I'm less likely to fall off the wagon.

Parting questions: Have any of you tried and program or method before? What ones worked and what ones didn't? Also does anyone have any tips for eating healthy while traveling? I'll take them :)

Cheers!

Marisa

A Series Of Crappy Events

Okay that might be a bit dramatic. But hi, I have a blog. Sometimes I post shit and sometimes I hide under blankets when sad things happen and I ignore the interwebs. This was one of those instances. Saturday June 4 ( I can't even say last week because I've been MIA that long) was the Dam to Dam, and guess what? I did it! Yes I actually ran the entire 12.4 miles which is the longest I've ever run in my entire life. I was pretty proud of myself, until Monday rolled around and I was hobbling around like a peg legged pirate because my foot felt broken. As it turns out...it kind of is.

Yes my friends that is my right foot...in a boot. Because I have a stress fracture in my foot. How did this happen you ask? Less a series of crappy events and more like a series of stupid choices on my part. Here is how you wind up with a stress fracture. Please take notes.

1.) You wait until the last second to buy new running shoes even knowing you can't run the race in them because you will kill yourself. So you wear your old super worn out running shoes. Which isnt...really...any better.

2.) You don't train properly. Like oh I have this distance race coming up. Haven't really ran in over 2 weeks and the longest I've ever run was 8.5 miles...2 months ago. I should be fine. Wrong. You will not be fine. Because you are old. And dumb.

3.) During said race you get a super mega blister but instead of taking advantage of the plethora of ambulances and EMT's around you just keep going and run on the outside of your foot to avoid said blister. For 5.4 miles.

And that friends is how you wind up in a world of hurt and a stupid boot on your foot for weeks. WEEKS!!! The soonest I will be able to run again is mid July and even then only a mile or two. It sucks big time, and I've been having a pity party ever since. When I see people running I take it as a personal attack and want to hit them with my car. In the end though, I know I could've prevented this and I just have to suck it up. However since I can't do fun things like run and play sports, I guess that gives me more time to blog. Trying to stay positive here.

So in conclusion, don't be dumb like me. Be safe and make smart choices. Also get crutches. I don't have any and I'm pretty sure if I did, I'd get more sympathy and free shit.

Broken Cheers,

Marisa

Don't Stop Me Now

Greatings and salutations friends! So last time I posted (forever ago) I said I wasn't going to be a once a month blog poster. It is now November 11th ( Happy Veterans Day!) and this is my first post. Not off to a great start. SO! Update time. I have been on a health kick lately and I must say I feel great! While I am no means a Top Chef, I've made some pretty bomb ass dinners I'd like to share with you. First up:

A homeade whole wheat crust pizza. Toppings include: spinach, red onion, mushrooms, and black olives with pesto instead of marinara sauce. Sooooooooo good, and so easy to make! Next up:

Veggie and egg white frittata. Again, sooo easy and sooo good.

Alright enough about my awesome culinary skills. In other awesome news (and this is so so so so late) but the bestie and I were finalists in Des Moines Metromix's Halloween Costume Contest! I was pretty proud as I never expected to make the finals, but here we are in all our glory.

MY LITTLE PONIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't act like you're not jealous. We were bascially Britney Spears all night because everyone wanted a piece of us.....or maybe just pictures with us. Either way we were VIP all night. And while we didn't win I have to give it up to the winners. Their costumes were super cute, and original.

Whew that was a lot of randomness in one post. It's crazy times what with the Holidays coming up. I'm going to be working like mad the next two months and still need to make time to study for the GMAT. Which I haven't really been doing. BUT! Tommorrow is another day and I will be hitting the books because I WILL be going to grad school next fall. Not going is simply not an option. So internets it's up to you to hold me accountable and make sure my lazy bum stays on top of things.

Okay, time to run. Wooo health kick!

My Little Ponies 4 eva,

Marisa