Posts tagged walk
Just another walk in the park…
23 weeks ago
Yesterday evening after a yummy dinner of steak and shrimp, hubby and I decided to go for a walk at the park. Even though I’ve been running every day, I have not been going to the park. We are so lucky to have a beautiful county park just up the street from us. It was the perfect evening to go and I took the time to take pictures of some of my favorite parts of park. We saw turtles, bunnies, birds, and more.
After our walk at the park, we stopped by the house for Blue and Ozzie and took them on a walk around the neighborhood. They love their walks!
It was a very active day! After running 3.11 miles in the morning, we walked 4.40 miles between the park and walking the dogs. A perfect end to a Sunday on a holiday weekend.
This morning, I ran through a very quiet neighborhood, so many people are off today. I am very much looking forward to another day at home and I’m hoping it doesn’t go by too quickly….
Wishing you a very Happy Memorial Day! Take the time to remember and honor all those that have served our country, allowing us to enjoy the freedoms that we have today.
Bridge repeats are fun!
43 months ago
Ever since we ran the bridge on Sunday morning, I’ve been thinking about doing it again. Yesterday evening, hubby and I went back. I know I said we would probably do Sand Key Bridge next, but I really wanted to tackle the Memorial Bridge again and see how our second time compared to our first time. I decided yesterday morning that would be the plan for the evening and I was pretty proud of myself for actually sticking to it. It was a gorgeous afternoon and evening and I couldn’t wait to get back out there.
I was tired when we got there, after another long day of work, and it was windy so I thought for sure that would affect our time. All I knew was I wanted to go over the bridge 3 complete times and try to run a little more than last time.
So how did we do? We shaved almost seven minutes off our last time. What?! How did that happen? We ran downhill every time and we did intervals running up every time. Even more amazing? Our second mile was faster than our first.
Pretty awesome,if you ask me. I’m not sure who I am that running back and forth over a bridge has become fun. And maybe fun isn’t the right word. It’s HARD and as I’m huffing and puffing up to the top, I’m wondering what the heck I’m doing and why I’m doing it. But to finish and then think about what I just accomplished is an AMAZING feeling and it makes me feel strong. I love feeling strong. And… 10 activity points earned for the day on my ActiveLink. Bonus.
One thing I need to work on is my breathing. Running uphill, my breathing is very shallow and by the time I get to the top, I sound like I’m going to keel over. Running downhill, my breathing is much more even. When I am running on a flat surface, it’s somewhere in the middle. I believe that I would be able to run easier if I could work on my breathing because I tend to get winded before my legs feel like giving up. This is where I need conditioning.
So, another great evening and more bridge repeats under my belt. I won’t be running the bridge again until after the Sarasota Half Marathon this weekend, but I’ll get some bridge work in then. I can’t wait to see what that bridge is like…
For now, it’s Nanci –2 Bridge – 0.
Do you prefer training in the morning or evening? Before or after work?
A little bridge work…
83 months ago
This morning we went out to the Memorial Bridge in Clearwater for a little bridge work. Most – okay all – of the races I have done have been a flat course. I have two coming up with bridges and decided it was time to get out there and see how I will do running the bridge. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it?
The Memorial Causeway is where the Iron Girl will be in April, my third half marathon on my list for the year…. Being totally honest, those bridges are intimidating. Not the first time over, but coming BACK over them. And it’s not just Memorial Bridge, but also Sand Key Bridge. This will be the route for the Iron Girl.
(Source: Iron Girl)
There is also a bridge (or two?) on the Sarasota Half Marathon next weekend. That will also be good preparation for the Iron Girl Half.
(Source: Sarasota Half Marathon)
Today we focused on Memorial Bridge. We parked below the bridge and decided we would go over and back however many times we could in an hour. We would run some, walk some. I wanted to see what I could do. It was a beautiful 61 degrees when we arrived and the sun was just rising over downtown Clearwater. Look how smooth the water is…
We stuck to the bridge only. Up and over, turn around at the end, and back again. Hubby pushed me when I needed it. We would set little mini goals for running up. He’d tell me not to stop, just run a little farther. Running up the bridge is HARD. Running down the bridge is easier, but still a challenge not to let your feet get out from under you. We went over and back 3 full times in just under an hour. Amazingly, I don’t look like I’m going to die or anything…
I never thought much about mileage when we started, but we ended up at 3.77 miles. And after looking at my Garmin details, I am pretty damn proud of myself. Average pace of 15:26 on a bridge? I’ll take it. And how cool is the satellite picture of our route? Florida is so pretty.
You don’t seem quite so intimidating now, Memorial Bridge. I’ll be back to run over you quite a few more times before April…
Our next time out, we plan to run over the Sand Key Bridge. See it there in the distance? You are next on my list…
After our bridge fun, we made the mandatory stop at Starbucks. Clearly I earned my hazelnut macchiato this morning. It really hit the spot! Hubby enjoyed a raspberry mocha frappuccino – he went all out!
I feel fantastic now. My legs feel strong and I am so glad I went out there and got it done. And I was at 150% on my ActiveLink by 8:30 this morning, with 5 activity points earned. And the best of all… Great start to my Sunday!
Do you have bridges or hills in your area that intimidate you? How do you prepare yourself?
What is YOUR stress relief?
103 months ago
by Nanci
in depression, emotional, fear, happiness, hot yoga, mantra, mental health, positivity, run, stress, stress relief, walk, workout, yoga
We all deal with stress. Every day, we all have different stressors that affect us in multiple ways. And each and every one of us deal with our stress in a different way. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have stress. But we all do, and we have to find a way to deal with it.
When I get stressed, the first thing I want to do is eat. Plain and simple. For most of 2012, I ate my way through stress. Did it help? There’s an immediate sense of feeling better, honestly, but eating didn’t help what was causing my stress.
Since I started 2013 by going back to Weight Watchers and making the decision to take better care of myself, I’ve found different ways of dealing with stress, most of the time… And while none of these actually get rid of the stress, it’s a good feeling to know that I am not sabotaging my body by eating my way to oblivion.
So, what do I do to relieve stress?
- Hot yoga – I really cannot say enough about hot yoga. I wish I could go more. I love to sweat it all out, the stretching, and the amazing feeling when it’s done. And I sleep amazing afterwards. I wish I had tried it sooner.
- Run / Walk – really this should say “just move it”. Exercise really does wonders for stress. It makes me forget about what I’m stressing over, or at least realize that’s it’s likely I am stressing over something TOO much. I tend to worry to the extreme and working out calms that.
- Do things for ME – this can be anything. Shopping, reading, lunch out, anything that gets my mind off what I’m stressing over. Sometimes laying around being lazy is not good for stress and worry because it gives me more time to think about what is bothering me.
- Set goals – I love to have something to work towards. A goal weight, a race to look forward to, a new time to beat, something that pushes me and gives my brain something to focus on.
- Focus on the good, not the bad – this can be hard. Quite often, the bad can totally overshadow the good and it’s easy to forget so many other things that you can smile about.
- BE POSITIVE – I truly cannot stand negativity and I believe that if you think negatively, than that is exactly what you get. It can’t hurt to be positive and think good thoughts. Try it sometime…
All of these things are good for your mental health, for your happiness.
My dad used to drive me NUTS when something went wrong or we needed to resolve a problem and he would say, “it’s no big deal”. I didn’t understand how he could just brush it off like that and know that it would be okay, that it would all work out.
I’m not sure when I realized that positivity would get me much farther than negativity, but it’s definitely been in the last couple of years. Somehow, someway, things will always work out. My mantra throughout the last few years has been…
There have been nights when I wake up with anxiety over whatever is bothering me and I will literally repeat this to myself over and over again in my head. Be positive!
So, no matter what obstacles, challenges, troubles, and more you are up against, remember that it will pass. And there are things you can do to combat that stress. Don’t let it take over your body. Get out there and move, do something you enjoy, and focus on the good!
How do you deal with stress in your life? Do you have a personal mantra you’d like to share?
Race Recap ~ Gasparilla 8K 2013
53 months ago
Gasparilla race weekend is probably my second favorite race event, just after the Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon. Tampa goes all out for it, putting on 4 races over two days… 5K, 15K, 8K, and a half marathon. Many people do more than one race over the two days – there are some that do all 4 races for the Michelob Ultra Challenge and earn an extra medal. They are my hero – I can’t imagine running 4 races over 2 days. Kudos to them!
I first did the Gasparilla 5+3K last year, finishing in 1:00:16. Considering that was only my third timed race ever, I did amazingly well. Going into it this year, I thought it would have been fantastic to beat last year’s time but I had a feeling that was not going to happen. I just went out there and did the best I could today. And did I mention that I started the morning off with a coffee BEFORE the race because we were up late last night for the Daughtry concert? I never have coffee for a race but it was required this morning.
My hubby was also doing the 8K, as well as my friend Corinna and her son John-Evan. This was the first Gasparilla race for all three of them. We met up at the convention center early and headed to the start line shortly before 9am. Along the way, we snapped a few pictures in front of the foggy Tampa skyline… I thought for sure it was going to rain.
As we were getting ready to start the 8K, the half marathon was still going on and there were a lot of spectators watching. I caught a glimpse of all the medals… Gasparilla has great medals!
At 9:00, it was go time. The sky was still overcast but it wasn’t too bad. A funny side note… I had a new armband for my iPhone, I don’t usually use an armband but decided I better to protect my phone if it rained. Apparently when I hit play on my half marathon playlist, I hit repeat and it played the same song OVER and OVER again. It just happened to play one of the songs I added last night, Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch, so kind of new to me. I did not feel like messing with it because it really would have slowed me down. So I listened to the same song for my whole run. Go ahead, you can laugh.
I ran and walked intervals. My method is not by time. I am a very visual person and I set landmarks to run to… A sign, a light pole, a tree, a tent, whatever I see up ahead. It works much better for me than to go by time and keep staring at my watch. Hubby stayed ahead of my for much of the first half. When I caught up to him, we started running the same intervals and it worked out well.
As soon as we turned around and headed back the other direction, it instantly felt about 20 degrees warmer. I don’t know if it’s because we were closer to the water, the sun reflecting off the water, or the wind going in a different direction, but it was HOT. It was around this time that I knew without a doubt I would not do better than last year’s time. No way, no how. Hubby and I stuck together and ran when we felt like it and walked when we needed to.
I finished at 1:05:58, which I am happy with considering the heat. I was a hot sweaty mess but I felt great. It was fun to cross the finish line with hubby! We grabbed our medals and met up with Corinna and John-Evan who had finished a few minutes before us. My unofficial time on my Garmin….
Afterwards, we all headed to Starbucks for our after-race treat. We certainly earned it. It was at this time that I noticed that all the lights were flashing on my WW ActiveLink. Not a bad day when you reach your activity goal by 10:30 in the morning!
Here are my official results….
And my fabulous medal… Thank you Gasparilla for another great event. I can’t wait to do it again next year!
For my local readers, did you take part in Gasparilla race weekend? For everyone else, do you have similar events near you? What is your favorite race distance to run?
