A FEW things I want to share while I am reconstructing my blog

Hey everyone!  I hope all of you are doing well.  I am doing great in fact I have been quite busy.  I wanted to share a few things with you (updates) about me. 

1.  As you see from the pictures that the first one posted is a certificate.  Well I completed one of my 2014 goals of being a RRCA Certified Running Coach.  I completed the class in April and passed my test in May.  I received this certificate June 2nd and I was so excited.  A dream come true and now I can really help those beginners who want to get into walking or running and those who want to improve. 

2.  The second picture is from the National Black Marathoners Association.  We are a group of diverse individuals who have completed half and full marathons.   This is a very inspiring group of people with alot of great knowledge.  We were at our national meet and greet in Spokane, WA.  We were getting ready to run the Windermere Marathon and I completed the half.  It was a beautiful course and I took alot of photos.  I was not going for a timed goal, just wanted to enjoy the downhill scenery.

3.  The third photo is my last session at CrossFit!  That is a hard workout there, but I definitely improved the months I was there.  The one thing that I disliked was lifting heavy weights everyday.  It was just not for me and my goal was never to compete.  My time was cut short with CrossFit and decided to go back to where it all started.  The place where I lost majority of my weight and body fat. 

4.  The last photo is my first day back at Boot Camp at the gym where it all started, TransformUFitness!  As you see, I burned up the calories and I was feeling great after.  Now this was so much better than CrossFit because I got a total body work out with plyometrics and cardio plus I burned a high amount of calories.  CrossFit I would only burn right at 300 or less plus I was building so much muscle in my arms, I was starting to get too big at the top AND I could tell a difference in my cardiovascular system.  So, I am back at TUF and will be sure to give you all frequent updates!

**My page should be back to working 100% before the 4th of July.  Thank you for being patient and for following me**

PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

I am currently re structuring my page.  I also had to take a small break due to some testing, but everything is ok.  Please be patient and stay tuned ;)

I messed up!...

Sorry folks, I fell off again, but this time I got back on here faster.  So I still need to finish up my races.  Well the race after Cowtown was Little Rock & it was EPIC!  OMG, it may take me several days to talk about the whole weekend.  I will start on that tomorrow, but I do have something wonderful to share.  Wait for it......

Well, I challenged myself to lose 15lbs by my birthday which is May 11th.  I have been eating clean starting from last week.  I am proud to say I am down 5.7lbs, 7 inches & feeling great.  

Not only have I been eating clean, but I am doing CrossFit 3 to 4x a week, running 2 to 3x & getting ready to add yoga back for sure.  I will be sure to keep you all updated on my progress.

This body is under construction again. I will be at ideal goal weight with a 25lb loss.  Let's get it!

Efficient Running Cadence

I read this article and wanted to share with you all.  Most new runners know nothing about cadence, well this is a great way to start.  Check it out.......

Want to improve your speed and lessen the risk of injury? Challenge your intuition with these tips to increase your speed and running efficiency!

TEST TIME

Take this little test:

1. Head outside in your run gear and go for an easy 5-minute jog.
2. After completing the jog, launch into a sprint and run as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2, this time paying close attention to your stride length (the distance between each step) during the easy run as compared to the sprint.
4. Compare the results (for example, did your stride lengthen during your sprint?).

If you haven’t paid close attention to your stride length or run cadence, chances are this quick test resulted in a longer stride during your sprint. Don’t worry- you’re not alone! Our intuition tells us that in order to run faster, we must cover more ground or widen our gait. Often times, this results in injury due to unbalanced weight proportion and greater bone and joint impact.

In order to run faster and more efficiently, runners must work to quicken their cadence or shorten their strides. Doing so lessens the impact of running and evenly distributes weight throughout the center of the body, under the hips. Taking smaller, quicker steps also helps continue the forward motion of the body, resulting in a fluid run cycle.

MEASURE YOUR CADENCE

1. Warm-up with an easy 5 minute jog.
2. When your muscles feel warm and you’ve achieved a natural rhythm, begin counting your left leg steps for 30 seconds. Multiply the number by four to calculate your cadence or steps per minute (SPM).

Read more at http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2013/03/training-tips/efficient-running-cadence_11060#bfluSkgJY2333CFV.99

The Cryo Clinic!

CRYOTHERAPY

Now for those of you who don't know what this is, it's so much better, more effective and takes less time than sitting in an ice bath. 

Cryotherapy is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy. Cryotherapy is used to treat a variety of benign and malignant lesions.[1] The term "cryotherapy" comes from the Greek cryo (κρύο) meaning cold, and therapy (θεραπεία) meaning cure. Cryotherapy has been used as early as the seventeenth century.

Its goal is to decrease cellular metabolism, increase cellular survival, decrease inflammation, decrease pain and spasm, promote vasoconstriction, and when using extreme temperatures, to destroy cells by crystallizing the cytosol.

My experience:  So the lady was very nice and explained everything to me prior to doing it.  She stayed in the room for the 3min I was in the chamber which made the time go by fast.  I was totally naked, just had on gloves and footies.  I got up to -129ish and the areas where I was really sore, thighs, calves and buttocks was the areas that got really cold.  Seems like it targets the areas that needed the healing which is great.  Again, I was in there for 3 minutes, head was sticking out like in the picture.  I am not going to lie, it was cold, but so worth it.  When I got out I was cold.  I out my clothes on and headed home drinking water as requested.  I felt the full affect and like she told me, I may get tired and I did, but slept like a baby.  I woke up the next morning feeling pretty good.  Repeated 3 more times the week following Costown because I had another full coming up.  So be looking out for that recap.

Overall, I would recommend anyone to try this especially if you do ice baths because thia shortens the time of being cold!

Cowtown Marathon Weekend....Challenge done!

So I am sticking to my promise and recapping all the races I did not post.  Tonight I am going to talk about The Cowtown Marathon & 10k. 

This was a challenging weekend because I did a 10k on Saturday & the Marathon on Sunday.   Yes, I completed 2 and per my gps it was 33.1 miles!  I ran this race last year, but did the 10k & half.  For doing the 2 races you get an extra medal and those who know me, knows I run for more bling too.  This was called the Cowtown Challenge.   3 medals, 4 shirts and lots of pictures, ha.

Week leading up to the race:  Well, I ran Mercedes half marathon the weekend before & was very concerned about hydration issues.  I got some great advice from a friend & this has been my ritual before any warm weather race.  I took 2 to 3 endurolytes a day (salt tablets), had 1 electrolyte drink a day (nuun) and limited water intake to 90 to 100oz.  Plus, I made sure I ate clean & healthy all week. 

10k:  I walked the entire way,  but when I saw the finish line, I made sure to run it in.  Alot of people were walking because they were doing the challenge.  We got our medal at the end, lots of food and then went to the expo.  Now I already had my packets because I registered with a team.  Oh before I forget, the route was nice, half was on a nice trail and some was on the streets.  Great support on course too & lots of cameras.

Saturday night:  I had a long day because I did the 10k, then had another event to go to.  My plan was to rest, but I had a prior engagement that I could not miss.  When I did get home,  I ate some carbs, but I usually carb up 2 to 3 days before a race.   I also took a warm salt water bath to get my body relaxed for the race.  I had everything laid out and didn't fall asleep till 12am knowing I had to get up at 3:30am!

Race day/ Marathon:  So I got up, nervous, got ready and prepared my breakfast to take with me.  Adarius dropped me off at my friends and we headed to the race.  I was nervous, but it didn't show, lol.  Took alot of photos before, took group pictures and talked to so many of my friends.  The race started on time, corrals were nice and even and spaced out.  I started off with a slow pace and my goal was to increase it half way, but I ended up speeding up too early which tired me out because 1. Humidity was a factor and 2. It was hot and the sun was beaming.  The good thing was, I dressed for warmer weather, had plenty of fluids (carried camelbak with electrolyte drink) and I NEVER got dehydrated.  I felt great except for getting overheated.  I ended up slowing way down, legs were getting tight so I walked, but then walking started hurting so I ran.  It was crazy, but I got it done.   When I sae that 25 mile marker I was so happy, I cried,  but I cried several times during the race.  That last 1.2mi wad a beast,  but I had Adarius at 25.5 cheering me on and my girl Karen who cheered for me all the way through the finish.  I was so happy till they told me they ran out of medals and instantly I was pissed off.  They gave us this real size laminate card with the medal on it, but it was not the same and that told me they knew they did not have enough medals.  They could of at least had a medal for people to take a finishers picture with.  Luckily there was a lady there with her medal who let me take a couple photos with it.  I thanked her 100x. 

Post Race:  I changed clothes and instantly got tight. Could barely walk, but it was good to keep moving.  We ate Unos because I was craving deep dish pizza and then went home to fall asleep.  I was tight for 2 days, but then felt fine and was back in the gym.  I did get my medal about 9 days later, but I was not a happy camper.

Overall, Cowtown is a race I would continue to repeat.  Was not happy with the medal situation,  but I let it go.  Great crowd support, staff and pre and post race was nice.  If I go back next year, it will be thw ultra, 31 miles.  So wait and see what I decide to do.  There are several other races all of the same day next year, so I have a decision to make!

Check out the picture s and stay tuned for tomorrow's post.  I might not talk about the next race as there is something I did betwen the next one I would love to share.

Mercedes Marathon Weekend!

As promised, I am going to recap all of my races since the last blog daily.   After NOLA, I went to Birmingham, AL to do the Mercedes Marathon Half.  It was Valentines Day weekend, but the race was on February 16th.  This was actually my first time going to that city, but as usual I don't get much time to see the city due to a quick turn around trip.  I went with my sorority sister and running sister LaShawn.  She was from there and her family was still there.   We did a little site seeing, ate and got our rest for the race because we flew in early Saturday morning.  So here are my thoughts from Expo to Post Race:

Expo:  I was a little disappointed as it was very small, congested and boring.  It was kind of good though because I didn't spend any money,  lol.  I did however get a couple items, but nothing to get excited about.   Packet pick up was very easy and quick.  They allowed shirt exchanges on site too which was nice.  I ran into a couple friends, tooks some pics and they are included.

Race Day:  I knew it was going to be hot because it was already feeling a little warm at the start.  Although I had a plastic bag on, I had to remove my gloves because I was hot prior to the start.  The corrals were nice, so wave start worked perfectly.  The course was very nice and we had some hills, but it was not bad at all.  What was nice was seeing the elites making their second loop to finish.   Pretty cool, but showed me that I needed to run faster, ha.  Oh before I forget, this was the first race I wore my Hokas!  If you don't know about them, look them up and try.  They work great for me. 

Back to the race, so I was doing really good till I cramped up at mile 10!  Between the humidity, sun beaming on us and it being hot, I was sweating faster than normal which took most of my salt intake away.  So of course, I slowed it down and mostly walked the last 3 miles until I got near the finish where I was able to sprint it out! 

Finish line/post race:  Well like I said above, I sprinted to the finish, got my bling (Mercedes symbol), got a wrap and waited on my friend to cross the line.  Once she came through, we stretched and then got split up because I was taking pictures which you will see some posted.  What was nice was the fact that they handed out very nice cooling towels with the race info on it. 

Overall, I thought this was a great race, fun, saw many many people, took lots of pictures and this race showed me that I needed to figure out my hydration issue.  I did however figure it out and I will discuss that on my next blog.  AND I would definitely do this race again.

Stay tuned!