Week in review- Sunday, February 28th

It is hard to believe tomorrow is March 1st and officially two months until the Parkway Half marathon... Now is time for the serious training to begin! Unfortunately, I had to ruin my perfect Sac Fit attendance record yesterday due to a bit of a virus but Lara braved the rain and ran her 8 miles. Yay!! She actually changed her pace group and found that it may be a better match for her. I think she should get extra credit for running her whole workout in the rain. Her tip for this week is next time she does a rain run she will put Glide on her feet so that her socks don't rub. I will have to keep that in mind myself!

This week was an exciting week on the blog and Pod cast side. We had our first official blog comments. Thanks, Jessica!!! We previously received comments from people on Facebook, which we appreciate, but it was also fun to see comments on the actual blog site. We look forward to any feedback! Lara also got our first official Tweet from somebody we didn't know regarding the Pod cast. It's fun to think people who don't know us are actually reading and/or listening!

This week also continued my search for the best Lara bar flavors. Once I finish trying all of the flavors I will let you know how it goes. Lara bars are my new favorite treat since most of them literally only contain dates, nuts, and unsweetened dried fruit. I actually first tried these as samples from the SF marathon expo (not because of the name) and now I am hooked! They are a great afternoon snack to get you through your after work workout! Lara actually ordered some new products including a gel and some energy breakfast cookies, so I look forward to hearing about those too! More to follow on this one especially as I try to eat clean and get these last pounds off. I am hoping to also better fuel my body for my workouts!

Product of the week: Sticking to the theme of sweet treats, one treat I recommend is the snack sized Pay Day. Although I wouldn't normally advocate candy bars, the Pay Day is a fan favorite of local runners. It provides the perfect combination of salt and sugar and seems to digest easily when you are literally on the run. It gives you that little boost of energy you need when you want something to eat instead of a gel. It also settles that grumble you sometimes get in your stomach after eating shot blocks or beans on a long walk/run. I do my best to ration them out and only bring them on long workouts!! So far, we have only been able to find the snack size bars (about 80 calories) each at Wal-Mart!

As Spring gets closer, I hope everyone has signed up for their goal race. Whether it is a 5K or Ultramarathon, the important thing is we are out there running our own races as well as sharing the information we learn and the experiences we have along the way!

-Lisa

Week in review- Sunday, February 21st

I am back! I am sorry that I missed last week! This week is going to be the week of focus. As Dr. Oz says, "Exercise is non-negotiable!" I need to remind myself of these words when I find it tempting to miss a workout because I am tired after work. I know I will feel better mentally and physically during and after the workout!

This week was a nice diverse week of workouts. I made it to the gym one night for my regular workout. The next night I actually walked to dinner and back with an old friend I reconnected with recently. She and her boyfriend recently became runners so we had lots of great conversation. They are both so pumped and enthusiastic about signing up for their first half marathon that I couldn't help but be "re-motivated" by their excitement. Plus, you can't feel as guilty about eating half a giant calzone when you walk to the restaurant and back!

Yesterday, Lara and I went to our Sac Fit workout. Instead of the normal workout, it was the Cooper Workout week. Basically, the Cooper Workout involves a series or warmup and cool down exercises and a 12 minute walk/run with the goal being to get around the track as many times as possible in the 12 minutes. Apparently, there is then a formula to measure your VO2 potential. I wanted so badly to walk a 12 minute mile but I must confess I had to run part of the last lap to finish that fourth lap just as my 12 minutes were up. Lara and I then had a great walk to our local Fleet Feet and back (of course stopping for lunch) to complete our workout. Again, who can feel bad about shopping or eating when you've worked hard to get there!

I also attended a nutrition class at work this week that was a great reminder about the importance of eating live things especially those with lots of water content such as fruits and vegetables. Fresh is of course the best option followed by frozen. If we remember we are fueling ourselves for our workout and think about that when we put food into our mouths we can't go wrong!

Product of the week:

I realize this week's product of the week may not apply to all but for those that it does it is worth reading! One of the most important things a woman runner or walker needs is a good supportive sports bra. For those of you who haven't been able to find a comfortable, supportive one there is one out there for you! I will never wear another sports bra... It is THE perfect high impact sports bra. It is the Maia bra by Moving Comfort. You can purchase it online or at your local REI or Fleet Feet. It is comfortable and literally the first sports bra I have ever worn where I am 100% comfortable walking or running because, pardon the expression, everything is locked and loaded! It comes in several colors (including white and black) and I promise you won't be disappointed if full support is what you need!

Week in review- Sunday, February 7th

Hello again. I am back! Exercise should be a priority in your life but

sometimes life does take a priority over exercise! I made it back to the
gym Monday night for some desperately needed cardio. It wasn't the best
workout, but at least I was there.

We had a good workout last Saturday with Sac Fit. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't find people who wanted to walk as crazy fast as I am trying to but
there were some great people out there. My coach kept us going at a good
pace. It is still so hard for me to start slower and get that negative
split in. I am always afraid I am wasting valuable time! I really would
like to walk the Parkway Half marathon in under 3 hours, which means keeping up a
13:40 minute per mile pace. Wish me luck! I always seem to do better
when I have a goal to work towards.

Another nice thing is the days are staying lighter out slightly longer
which means soon we can get some outdoor workouts in after work and still
see the sun I definitely prefer walking outdoors over being on the
treadmill but both serve their purposes. It is much easier to get those
running shoes on and get moving when it isn't cold and rainy out! Now is a
good time to pick that spring race and start training for it!

Product of the week:
A few weeks ago I recommended a great pack. I am a firm believer you need
a good pack to tote your water in but there are times when you fly out the
door for a quick 30 minute walk or run and only want to grab your keys (and
Road ID of course) and go. A great accessory for those days is the Spibelt
The Spibelt is a very small pocket on a waist belt that expands to fit your cell phone, keys, and iPod. It is perfect for a quick run or walk outside when you need the bare essentials! The Spibelt is often sold at race expos for major marathons/half marathons. Otherwise, check out www.spibelt.com and for a few dollars extra you can even get the extra cords to hook your race bib/number to it.

Have a great week!

-Lisa