Who's Supporting Who?

I seriously love this! Being a military wife I am so impressed with the actions of all involved with this act of kindness. The race benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation which provides scholarships to military veterans and their spouses. So the runners were supporting military families and a vet was supporting the runners! Win, win in my opinion! Way to go runners, you did good!

PiYo Week 1

So I have been doing PiYo for a whole week now. What do I think of it? IT IS GREAT! Granted I have only done a few of the DVD's and I suspect the "easier" ones to get used to it first but so far really so good. There are only a few moves that I really can't do very well due to flexibility and balance and some because my belly is still too big but I have learned to modify them enough to still get a good workout.

-->I have already LOST ONE POUND In 1 Week! And this was the "easy" week of getting to know PiYo! (I have not lost any weight since 3 weeks postpartum)<--

Here are a few observations so far:

~Sweating- I am sweating after every single workout! It feels great to really sweat and know that I am doing work! They are fast moving enough that I am getting a good workout in without dying though and I can really feel the stretch before we move on to the next stretch.

~Stretching- I am feeling the stretch! I am following the cues that Chalene is giving about lifting my tail bone in a certain move or squaring off my hips and I feel the stretch so much more deeply.

~Flexibility- I feel a little more flexible but no splits for me yet! Can't lift my leg very high in the downward dog split.

~Strength- I have felt the most soreness in my arms and shoulders. It is a lot of planks and downward dogs and I have always felt them more in my weakest muscle, my shoulders. But I also have noticed, on Sunday, that they are getting stronger. I was able to go up into a plank instead of a modified plank for 5 whole seconds without my core and arms shaking like a mad person!

I have had less lower back pain this past week and I think that is because my back is finally getting stretched. My chiropractor, who I am seeing every 2 weeks right now, was pleased with my back and hip alignment this past week. Since I had Collin my body wasn't holding the adjustments but this past appointment on Thursday he said that it is doing really well. Hoping to get cleared for every 4 weeks by the next adjustment this week. (I have a massage on Wednesday and will get an adjustment just before.)

So my 1st week review of PiYo is I really like it. It is entertaining. The music is fun. Chalene is great and funny and I can feel a difference in my arms strength wise. I will have another review at 30 days in.

If you are interested in joining me in my journey or in a PiYo challenge group in the next few weeks let me know here! or EMAIL me!!!

July Week 2 Workout Recap

Already over halfway through with July! CRAZY! This week has been crazy. We have my first week on PiYo and Shakeology by Beachbody. Mason turned 3 years old. Collin is 8 weeks old and I am 8 weeks postpartum.

So keeping this purely about my weekly workout recap here I go. The others will be found here later this week. I am so happy to be able to exercise again. Things are going great. Breaking a nice sweat and really feeling my legs, arms and shoulders get nice and sore. Not too sore but a good sore. PiYo has been great. Took it easy to learn all the moves and watch more of the DVD so this week will be a different story. By the end of the week I was feeling stronger in my core and legs and definitely in my arms.

Goals for this week: 

1) Get my food more in control. Follow my nutritionist diet plan that I have and make sure I am eating enough calories! (yes, I need to actually eat more. I am falling under and if it wasn't for Shakeology I think my milk supply would diminish a little but it has been pretty good!)

2) Push harder during my PiYo exercises. Really feel the burn more this week.

3) Work with the hubs to schedule 2 running days during the week. Need to start getting this in if I am going to be running. And to do running this Saturday with the training program. Going to be leaving Collin with Matt so I can do my run!

Workout Recap: 

Sunday: rest
Monday: PiyYo: Alignment
Tuesday: PiYo: Define Lower
Wednesday: PiYo: Define Upper
Thursday: Sweat
Friday: Rest (made a cake and could barely eat it, too sugary!)
Saturday: 1/2 mile walk plus walking around Washington DC, which is actually a lot of walking. Est. about 2 miles.

Total mileage: about 2.5 miles
8 weeks postpartum

Mason IS 3!!!

Out of the terrible 2's to the troublesome 3's, here we come! (actually I think he arrived here a while ago.) So happy to have Mason in our lives! He is our little miracle baby and life is so much fun watching you learn and grow.

This year you have learned to really talk! Now you are counting and using full sentences. It impresses us every single day how much you are learning and growing. Thank you for blessing our lives with your awesomeness! You also became a big brother this year and you are an amazing big brother! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BUDDY!

This morning was spent opening gifts and playing with the balloons in his room that he woke up to and watching his year in review slideshows. It's so impressive how much he has changed in the last year. Today we have a jammed packed day of going to Bounce-n-Play, playing in the kiddo pool out back and eating an EPIC birthday cake that I am making for him today! Just you wait, it is going to be AWESOME!

Running Tips and Tricks: Clothing

Remember that good ol' saying, "Running doesn't cost anything, just open the front door and go!" Well, that statement is true to a point. It depends on how much you want to pursue running but eventually continuing running will cost something. It is best to be well prepared and as safe as possible and when running often what you are wearing can help you or hurt you.

Shoes: Are a must investment. I am all about pinching pennies and all but when it goes to keeping my body healthy and fewer discomforts when I am exercising than I will spend what needs to be spent. And shoes are the first thing I invest in when running. I can't really say that my running shoes are my most expensive shoe in my closet but they are the most expensive shoe that I wear on a regular basis. (I have gotten my money worth!) Go to an actual running store. Every medium to large city has one. The kind where they actually watch you when you are running or jogging in the shoes that you are trying on. You need the shoe that fits your stride. It makes a difference. It can help you be faster, reduce shin splints, or other aliments that you can get from incorrect shoes support.

Apparel:  This is the next area where I really try to get the right stuff.

Running tops: Make sure that you get the right running tops. I started out exercising in my cotton tanks. I got them from a running store though and wasn't educated on what was the proper top to wear. I bought them originally when I was doing all indoor exercising in an air conditioned facility with a fan blowing on me. I didn't sweat all that much and when I did it was on the way home and time to go. Last summer when I joined the 4 miler training program I wore those tops. (I even raced in them you can see them in my first couple of races the green and yellow tanks.) At the training program they educated us on what not to wear and what to wear. They were right, because of my cotton tank they got saturated in sweat and it was just so hot to wear them. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started to wear teach shirts. Tech shirts wick moisture away from your body and it evaporates so much more easily keeping you cool and dry. They are awesome. One draw back though, they can smell really bad after awhile. When washing follow the label on how to wash. DON'T use fabric softener.

They are more pricy though, check with the local running stores to see if they have any discounted shirts. Sometimes races have extra and might sell them for cheap, cheap just to unload them. So ask around! They are worth the investment though.

~Running Skirts~

Bottoms: Make sure again that you have running bottoms. Shorts that have the fit dry capability that keep you dry and cool are great. There are also super sassy and cute running skirts. The skirts have either a brief or shorts under them or you provide your own shorts. One thing that is a must when running especially in briefs is anti-chaffing cream for your inner thighs or anything that rubs a lot when running. Body Glide is my personal favorite.

Socks: Socks are the next investment. Again you don't want moisture building up where it shouldn't because you are prone to get more blisters due to the moisture and friction rubbing. I used the Thorolo Experia Ultra lightweight socks for my 1/2 marathon and the couple of long runs prior to try them out.

Accessories: A hat for super sunny days is also good to have. Make sure that the hat has perforations in it thought so that your head doesn't overheat. Or a visor (as 80's as it is) is a great thing to try out too. It keeps the sun out of your eyes and some of your face. I also like to wear a headband to keep all stray hairs out of my face! I HATE IT when I have a hair on my face that is dripping sweat and it won't go away. I have tried 3 different non-slip varieties and found that BAMRbands are my fav! I guess I have a funky head shape because all the bands slipped off my head except for the BAMRbands! And Katie, the owner and mastermind, has super cute designs! I am building quite the collection!

Also tutu's are fun to have BUT you must do a run prior to your first race wearing them. Tutu's can be fun but if it is the wrong length it can become annoying because the tulle will get caught between your legs and rub. Janet my fellow pink lady ended up running a race with her tutu pulled up super high because she kept having to pull it from between her legs. Also try not to get the tutu's with glitter on it because they use glue to adhere that glitter on it and it can run and you will get covered in glitter. But they are fun when you get the right length and get used to them. I feel like I am flying sometimes in mine because it bounces so much! RaceJunkie is where I purchased in the past.

Hopefully these tips and tricks help you with your running! 

QOTD: What are your must haves for running? Fav brands? Let me know in the comments!