It's getting colder, but I'm just warming up!

There have been some runs in my "career" that leave me wanting more - today was one of those days. I had a great pace going, legs felt fantastic and yet. . . tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock. Life is calling- and I had to cut it short.
Still a GREAT run for me today though -

That's the 2nd run in 2 weeks that is under 10.5mm pace. Feeling very strong. I really think I could have maintained this pace for at least another mile or 2- wish I would have had the time to!

I also wore my iFitness Neoprene Double Pouch running belt again- this time, I didn't detach my keyfob and car key from my massive key chain (I will post a pic of this soon) - I left ALL of my keys, keyfobs and keychains together and fit the entire mass in one side of the belt. I could have fit a few more small items in there - it was pretty bulky though and the weight of the keys was noticeable when I put it on originally. I'm actually very surprised to report that I never felt the keys after that. You would honestly assume that they would bounce with running...if they did, I didn't feel a thing. I'm not one to give a glowing review of everything, no matter what  - if I were to find fault with a product, I'd be quick to say so. . . .I just haven't found a flaw yet.

DO NOT FORGET that you can win one of these belts for FREE! Go read this original entry to read all of the ways you can be entered in this fun contest! You really should take a few minutes to get yourself entered- you'll save $20-30 and get a GREAT piece of gear as well if you win!


Also- if you can't wait to win it, or need one NOW or want to make a great gift for the active folks in your life- From now until December 31st- when you purchase any running belt from Running Belt by iFitness and use the code: RunLola - you will receive free shipping on your belt(s)!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for running and a new running belt!

The truth is- I'm thankful for so much more than my new running belt- but while I may not have run as much as I had originally planned during my trip to PA, I did get in one good run with my husband and the Grey and Pink Neoprene Double Pouch was there for me again!

This was the first run EVER that my husband and I did together. He's almost an entire foot taller than me- so his stride is completely different, but his running is a lot more sporadic- so even though we run differently- our paces are somewhat similar. It was cold in PA on Friday morning - about 25 degrees- but there was a break of sunshine, so we went for it. Got bundled up and strapped on the running belt and filled it with my inhaler, keys and my phone (which is an HTC EVO for those wondering - it's similar to, but bulkier than an iPhone and easily fits in one of the pouches of the belt - along with other items).

I had never run near my mom's house- so since I had not plotted out a course beforehand, I kept it simple and we ran what I estimated to be half-mile loops. Just wanted to get our legs warm and our lungs working- so we were not out for a distance run. Just about 22 minutes. I had used Endomondo (a generally great app to track progress) but it didn't work properly and said we only covered .24 miles in 21:48. I may not be a fast runner, but I know I went a lot farther than that!

I drove the loop later - and it was actually .6 - so we covered 1.8 in 21:48- just over a 12 minute mile. Nothing I'll be winning races with but it was good to get out there with my husband and work off some of that turkey (or the wine, or that other wine).

The belt held up awesome, once again. No slipping- no bouncing- - and I just don't even notice it is there. For the record- I wear it over my clothes too- usually on wicking clothing. Thought that might actually make it ride up.....nope...nothing. :0)

DO NOT FORGET that you can win one of these belts for FREE! Go read this original entry to read all of the ways you can be entered in this fun contest!
Also- if you can't wait to win it, or need one NOW or want to make a great gift for the active folks in your life- From now until December 31st- when you purchase any running belt from Running Belt by iFitness and use the code: RunLola - you will receive free shipping on your belt(s)!

iFitness Running Belt- experiences 2 and 3

So far- the iFitness Double Pouch Belt has totally lived up to what it says it will do.

This morning- I used it for the 2nd time. I wasn't running, but I was weight training and didn't have any pockets to hold my iPod or other items. I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how it does or does not get in the way- it was great! I forgot it was even there! I did ab work, and a full upper body work out- and never felt it once. It didn't move, bouce or stick me in the back with the connector piece on the back (watch out folks, real high tech talk here).

It was a great morning though- I was at the gym at 5 a.m. and got in a great workout. Because of some responsibilities at home before this long holiday weekend, I couldn't get my cardio in after weights- so I planned an after work run.

I was really glad I did because I was able to use the belt again and also earn a Personal Record on pace! I ran 2.53 miles in 26:03 - about a 10:15mm. I was fast today- much faster than normal. But, I planned properly with my inhaler, had fueled properly throughout the day, and it was a nice cool temp out- so it kept me moving. Legs felt GREAT! The belt - WHAT BELT?- I couldn't even feel it. It didn't move, it didn't interfere, it didn't slip and it held my phone, keys, iPod and a few other odds and ends. There was a ton of room left to spare.

DO NOT FORGET that you can win one of these belts for FREE! Go read this original entry to read all of the ways you can be entered in this fun contest!

Also- if you can't wait to win it, or need one NOW or want to make a great gift for the active folks in your life- From now until December 31st- when you purchase any running belt from Running Belt by iFitness and use the code: RunLola - you will receive free shipping on your belt(s)!


Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday- I'm armed with a workout plan and a general food plan. I'm not going to say "I can't have that" about anything- but I'm going to be very conscious of my intake and portion sizes. And I've got the plan to get in several workouts while I'm travelling to PA.

I'll check in from the road- but for now? Go read, tweet, post and WIN!

All I do is win, win, win no matter what. . .(a review and contest!)

This is going to be a really fun post. I'm really excited about what has come my way this week.
I am going to do a month-long trial of the iFitness Neoprene Double Pouch (Grey w/ Pink Zip) Running Belt - document how it performs for me from now until December 15th and share what I like best, and maybe what I don't like, about it.

The Contest

What's in it for you? Well- you can WIN one for yourself (you get to pick which color you'd like)!
Here's how:
First- EVERYONE WINS!
From now until December 31st- when you purchase any running belt from Running Belt by iFitness and use the code: RunLola - you will receive free shipping on your belt(s)! This is great for gifts for your active friends and family, may they be runners, walkers, bicyclists, etc. It might also just be a great gift to yourself.


Now- how do you win one without buying it? I've got you covered!
Here is what you need to do.
1. (Required to be eligible) You need to go to Facebook and like the iFitness page and follow them on Twitter @iFitnessRunning (1 entry); you need to comment on this post with your name and twitter handle so I can check for you on those pages. (if you want to remain more anonymous- you can email it to me to make sure you get counted)




Once you have completed step 1- you can gain additional entries by doing the following:
2. Tweet about the giveaway (make sure to mention me- @that_girl_lola - in your tweet with a link to this ORIGINAL post. ) Here is a shortened link for you to use: http://bit.ly/9jK5wF
3. Re-tweet one of my tweets about the reviews/contest (will only count for 1 additional entry total)
4. Comment on my blog about the post/giveaway (you may comment on every post that mentions the iFitness running belt but only 1 entry per person per post comment)
5. Post a blog post on your own blog with a link back to my contest about why you would like to win. (only one post on your blog will count, multiple ones will not count for additional entries) Again, you can use the shortened http://bit.ly/9jK5wF to link back.


My First Review-
Today I took my first run using my new  iFitness Neoprene Double Pouch (Grey w/ Pink Zip) Running Belt.
They have many different kinds of belts from single pouch, to arm gel holders for distance athletes, to mini pouches to double pouches like I have here. They are also working to introduce a few new products soon.
I chose the double pouch because whether I'm running on my own or in a race, I typically have several things to carry with me- including: keys, inhaler (I'm an asthmatic), id/credit card, iPod and phone- sometimes gum and/or chapstick. I have a running belt already that has 3 small compartments- I could usually shove the everything in it- but once I got my new phone (an HTC EVO for reference to phone size) it would not fit at all- and certainly not with all those other items. (and my inhaler never fit in that belt).

Because I'm testing it out- I tried to put as much in the double pouch as possible- everything listed above was in it (sans id/cc). I should mention that there is a reinforced pocket in the back of one of the pouches just for id/cc, as well. As I got moving- I was aware that the belt was there- but it didn't bounce, it didn't slide, it wasn't heavy at all- except for the weight of the items.

Here is how iFitness describes this produce:
We are a one of a kind running belt company which specializes in keeping athletes hands free. Plus, our belts are guaranteed not bounce, chafe or ride up as you run! Our belts come in Neoprene, a water resistant material that will keep your iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or iPod safe from rain or sweat. Our belts are meant to be worn low and tight around the hips. All our belts include a special inner pocket to keep your ID, money and credit cards separate and secure (on the double neoprene belt that additional inner pocket is on the side that the iFitness logo is on). The Neoprene Double Pouch belt designed to fit all of your essentials- including phone, keys, ID, credit cards and fuel supply. It has two water resistant pouches- perfect to keep energy gels, keys or camera separate from your phone.

**I have not been paid for this review. I get to keep the running belt when this contest and review period is over- but the opinions of the product are completely mine.


So far- after 1 run, I'm very pleased with how it performed. While the belt is adjustable- it will be good to see how it holds up over the next month or if there is any stretching out from general wear and tear. It stayed put and was easy to access and I'd like to see how it performs as I hit colder/snowier weather.

Let's start a contest! :) Good luck to you all!

Pictures say a lot.

Not a big post here- these are comparison pictures. The ones on the top/bottom left are from Feb 2010***(see below)- the first 5k I ran this year. The top/bottom right are from Nov 2010, the 6th race of the year.

For clarity, on the left, I'm in the white, and on the right, I'm in the blue

Now, I don't care for either set of pics, but they are race pics, so you aren't expected to look pretty. What do I see? I see a better shape, stronger form, more confident shoulders and determination.

***Editor's Note: I'm an idiot. When I first posted this- I was thinking it was from the Feb race - but it was from the 500 Festival 5k in MAY 2010 (my 3rd race of year). This is actually a 6 month progression, not 9 month. So that's even better!

Truth in Reporting

Sometimes with the good, there is also not-so-good news. My last post was so positive, so wonderful- and I love re-reading it...However, this week I had a not-so-good week. Some of it was situational, but most of it was being lazy and taking advantage of those situations.

It started on Wednesday - in the overnight, my oldest daughter woke up at 3:30am vomiting - fun, right? So- knowing I'd be the one to stay home with her this time, I cleaned her up and got her settled and then stayed home on Wednesday - this meant two things. Because I had not slept well the night before, I didn't feel very energetic and I knew with my schedule that day I wasn't going to get a workout in. No biggie- I'd make it up on Thursday. Well...sabotage 1. I spent ALL DAY Wednesday eating- anything and everything- healthy and junky....completely insatiable. I mean, I wouldn't call it binging but it was just pick pick pick all day.
Then by Thursday, I felt so awful physically from the food on Wednesday that I didn't go for my run because I couldn't- I was not even able to stand fully straight my stomach was in that much pain. Lots of lessons learned and I probably don't even need to spell them out.

Today- back on track and facing the music. My weigh ins (the ones that count anyway, I'm a serial weigher) are on Friday morning - and I was UP 1.4 lbs. I faced it, I own it, I'm moving on.
After work I ran 2 miles and felt great - got a good sweat and tomorrow I'll have a great workout with my trainer - that will still be workout 4 for the week- not the best, but certainly a far stretch from where I was a year ago.

I've got a plan to get, and stay, on track very strictly for the next few weeks- hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to share more of that.

A Year in Review (kind of)

With a nearly 3 week hiatus from my blog, I’m not even sure where to start this. The truth is not that I’ve been TOO busy to blog, but more too fragmented in my thinking to put it down in writing. As it is- I’m actually writing this in Word before I copy/paste and post it so that I can give it some sort of order.


Running-

I’ve had some really fantastic runs here lately. From a training standpoint- I’ve been consistently keeping my training runs to about 2 miles each (3-4 times a week). Just keeping the legs loose but haven’t started hard-core training for anything so I’m not doing a lot of mileage increase. I knew I had a 5k coming up- so I ran a training 5k on 10/22 and maintained a 12:13 pace and finished in 38:01. I was plenty happy with that since I had not run a 5k in awhile.

Then something really odd happened- I ran 3 training runs – Oct 27, Oct 29 and then Nov 3 and ALL of them were under 11 minute mile paces! It was a much shorter distance- 1.56 miles- but on the Oct 29 run, the pace was actually 10:22 per mile! As happy as I was with that- I have also learned a few things. While I can run that pace on relatively short mileage- I cannot (yet) maintain it over a longer distance. Once I get to about the 1.5 mile mark- I start to slow down. Not sure yet if it is just stamina or more mental because I know my 2 miles are coming to an end.

Going into my 5k this past Saturday, the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon’s inaugural 5K, I had a goal to finish in 35 minutes. While I didn’t blow any goals out of the water- I certainly hit it or came very close. The reason for my uncertainty? Well. . .

I assumed that since we were chipped that the start would have both a gun time and a chip time – but it only had a gun start and chip finish. I started my Nike+ as I crossed the start line though- however, upon the finish, I had trouble getting it to shut off and it took more than 30 seconds to stop it. By the time I stopped the Nike+, it said my time was 35:42. The gun start/chip finish time said 36:01 and I started myself towards the back of the pack. I’m very confident that I finished between 35 minutes and 35:15 – so while it wasn’t a clear reach of the goal- I’ll call it close enough and be very proud of my 11 minute 20ish second pace.

The REAL win? My first race this year, a 5K in February 2010 – my total time was 47:15. If I finished at 35:15, that means I have shaved 12 minutes off of my 5k time and that, my friends, is nothing to scoff at!

Strength Training-

I’ve been working with a trainer since August 3, that’s when we took our initial measurements- so 3 months. I’ve lost more than 4 inches in both my waist and my hips, 2.5 inches in my arms and additional in other areas of the body. It is so encouraging to see clear results in that period of time and be able to visibly see them as well. I am not brave enough to post the “real” pics of before/after. Maybe someday, but now is not that day :)

I’m getting stronger, fitter and able to move between exercises quicker. I can do leg and knee lifts on the chair tower- I do semi circles with my knees while raising them on the chair tower. My core strength is improving dramatically. My posture is better, my back doesn’t hurt and I recover from workouts much quicker. I still hate squats though. Really hate squats. But I know they work, so I do them anyway.

Weight Loss/Inches-

I wasn’t going to post this yet- but as I’ve been a little inconsistent with my posts, I thought I should go ahead. I began this journey to weight loss and fitness the day after my 2nd daughter was born on November 17, 2009. Since that date, I have lost 65 lbs now. Lost countless inches and gained so much in fitness and health. I still have a good ways to go- but this has become a very reachable journey for me now. It is attainable and something I know I won’t give up on, I’ve come too far.

Goals/Future-

I’ve signed up to participate in another long-distance Ragnar Relay in June 2011. This one goes from Madison, WI to Chicago, IL – 204 miles, 12 members, run-til-you-drop 3 legs each. I am considering (still JUST considering) training for a half marathon next year. I think I want to focus a little more on stretching to 10ks first and then leg it out a little more. We’ll see. I have decided to do the mini training group, however. That starts in January again and will help me safely increase my weekly mileage.

I’ve removed a certain # as a weight goal- maybe someday I’ll set a number but as my body changes between fat and lean-muscle mass and everything else- I’ve got many other things to gauge where I am – how clothing fits, fitness improvement, etc.

In a year’s time, I have made changes to my life and my body that I would not have believed possible at first –but I did stick with it and I did persevere and I am hitting those benchmarks that will get me to my goals – and I’ve learned that I can and will get there by continuing to do what I now know and love – taking care of me.

no excuse is a good one

I have neglected my blog. I have lots to say- just have not made the time for it.

I am making the time this weekend to do a nice long update and committing to at least a 1x a week update from then on.

Things are GREAT though- details to come soon!