I did it!

As mentioned here, I ran in my very first 5K over the weekend. Unfortunately for me, there were no wine samples, but there was beautiful scenery to look at! I suppose not many people want to sample wine at 9 am after running three miles. Whatever, I say.

Back to the race, I ended up having to run it alone! Sad face. My bf caught a nasty cold towards the end of the week, and had to take himself out. We were both totally bummed, but it would have been a really bad idea to run in the cold while battling a cold... So, I gathered my courage, and he came along as my photographer and support system :)

There I am - way behind the vineyards!

I ended up running really well! The course was very hilly, which I didn't love. I ended up with an official time of 28:54 (my goal was to finish under 30 min yay!) I wasn't fast enough to get a nifty trophy (top 3 per age bracket), but I did finish 6th in my age bracket. Overall it was a pretty cool experience. I definitely want to do another 5K soon, but maybe on flatter ground next time :)

Making my way up the hill (I have my jacket tied around my waist like a cool kid)

I did it! And I beat the 10 year old behind me... yea!

Now, time to eat lots of turkey and food this week.... Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

My First 5K!

This Saturday, I am running my very first 5K! It's not that I just discovered exercise or anything, I just never really made the effort to run in any races before. Also, let's be serious, Saturday morning races don't usually mesh well with Friday nights on the town... am I right?

Maybe I'll sneak a sprint at the end to beat him :)

I came across a 5K recently which fell on a weekend that we actually have NO plans, so I persuaded my bf to join in it with me! It's going to be so much fun (I hope?) and most likely beautiful. We are running the race at Chateau Elan, so even if I don't have the greatest run of my life, at least I'll be running next to some pretty vineyards and landscaping..

Also, on the sign up page, it stated that afterwards will be samples and refreshments from local vendors. This has to mean wine samples, right? I mean, who doesn't want wine at 9 am after running 3 miles? I'm in. Now, let's just hope I finish with a somewhat acceptable time.. I'm quite certain the bf is going to leave me in the dust since I have been a crappy runner the past couple of weeks, but I'm ok with that!

Does anyone have any good advice?? Wish me luck!

Disturbing Stats

This morning, I hit the gym at 6 am. Since bootcamp ended a few months ago, I try to stay in the routine and go to the gym before work. It is so much nicer to have your workout complete when you get home from work. [Of course, it only really happens about 2-3 times a week, as opposed to 5 times a week during bootcamp.] It is just so hard to get up that early...

To the actual point of my post though... While I was filling up my water bottle, there was a sign on the wall which said:

"Three in four adults will be overweight by the year 2020"

Say what?! Now, I realize that the "statistic" that was hanging from the wall at LA Fitness might not be the most accurate place to get my information from, but it still shocked me. I cannot believe it! Of all the workout shows, food shows, health blogs and shocking statistics that you read about in newspapers in magazines, you would think we would be moving away from those terrifying statistics.

We'll kick your ass.

Now, I'm certinaly not saying that I am the picture of perfect health and fitness, but I definitely try to eat healthy and work out enough to burn off my weekend slip ups (aka booze). I enjoy exercising and try to make my own lunches and dinners during the week, and save the restaurant calories for the weekend. This wasn't always the case though. As this probably happened to many of you, I was a victim of the dreaded Freshman Fifteen (ok, maybe even more, who knows.) As a freshman, I came down with Mono during the first semester of college. My doctor put me on heavy meds, and told me that I couldn't exert myself for three months. Of course, I was back to normal after only a month or so, but I also had grown lazy in this time and it was very hard to get back into exercising on a regular basis. Combine that with the greasy all-you-can-eat food in our dining halls, late night drunk eating, lots of beer, and voila! Fat kid central. After a long conversation with my brave brother who ever so gently told me that I needed to take control of myself (while I cried like a baby because I knew it was true) it really hit me! You mean, other people have noticed it too? How crazy! It really took until my post-college life to get to the happy weight I'm at now, because let's face it: college has WAY too many temptations. After my freshman year, I really got serious about my eating, cut down on the booze, and hit the gym more often.

Eat your spinach and work those muscles!

The other day, my freshman roommate (we're still friends today) randomly sent me old pictures to reminisce on the good ol' days. I immediately X'd out of them, and felt instantly ashamed that I had let myself go like that. That was my serious wake up call, to never let myself get back to that weight again. [I think I'll spare myself the embarrassment of posting any "before" shots, because you guys get the idea.] Reading that statistic at the gym this morning made me realize how easy it really is to let yourself go. Being healthy really is a life changing decision, and something I constantly work on. I realize now that you have to allow yourself to splurge sometimes, and force yourself to be disciplined other times. You have to get your ass off the couch, stop watching Jillian Michaels help others lose weight, and actually exercise yourself! I am so much happier now than I was back in freshman year of college, so it is worth the work to me!

I really hope that something changes in the next 10 years, so that shocking statistic doesn't become a reality...

Rock Climbing and Go Karting

On Friday, we had a company outing at Andretti's Indoor Karting & Games in Roswell. I had never been there before, but have heard good things about it being a really fun place. Of course, going for a work event, I wasn't really sure what to expect. It actually turned out to be a really fun time!

The tools we had to build our karts

We did some team building exercises, where we were divided into teams and had to build and race our own go karts. After my team dominated (no seriously, we won the whole competition!) we had lunch and then were free to play in the arcade before our time to do the real go karting.

That's me steering our kart with my feet! We dominated!

In the arcade, my eyes went directly to a rock climbing wall, and was able to find one brave soul to try it out with me. I dragged my friend Chris over to do the rock wall, something I actually don't think I've ever done before aside from maybe my Camp High Harbour days back in middle school. I didn't really think anything of it while I was suiting up in my terribly uncomfortable and wedgie-giving harness, but I realized about halfway up the "easy" wall that I was totally scared!

Trying to not look terrified

Should I even put this on here? I should be embarrassed of this one.

Somehow I mustered the courage to just keep going all the way to the top, because who the heck wants to fall and give up on the easy wall? After I made it to the top I let go and the guy guided me back down to ground. After my hands stopped trembling, I decided to be bold and go for medium!

Action shot!

I thought easy was scary, oh my gosh I honestly didn't know how I would get to the top on this one. Again, somehow I found some sort of strength and ended up making it to the very top after using just about all of my upper body strength. I have to admit, it felt SO great to accomplish this! I'm probably blowing it out of proportion for people who may do rock climbing more often, but I felt pretty darn proud of myself for making it up both of these. Chris, of course, rocked easy and medium no problems, and just about made it to the top of the hard one. I couldn't believe it!

At the TOP!!!

After rock climbing, we were able to do our go karting, which was super fun as well. Aside from the fact that the racing warehouse was about 105 degrees, it was a blast. Each race is only about 8 minutes long, but it seriously felt like I was in there for 30 seconds. Such a rush!

Eye of the Tiger.

Overall, a very successful work outing, and a nice break from the office! I think I'm going to have to find some time to check out that rock climbing place over on I-85 soon, because I think I'm about to become a serious climber. I'm just sayin'...

Bootcamp is No Joke, People.

In order to get out of my insane workout rut, my roommate and I decided to do a four week bootcamp together. We found the deal on Groupon (aka the website that dictates my social life these days) which was about $40 for four weeks – a steal I tell you! The only crappy part is, it is Monday thru Friday, at 6 am. That’s right, before the sun even comes out, SHG and I are dragging our butts over to Chastain Park to get them kicked by two ex college football players. Are we crazy?

As scary as it sounds, it is actually fantastic! We just finished survived the second week, and are definitely feeling good. Well, aside from the sore muscles here and there, and the fact that we feel like old ladies going to bed at 9:30 every night… The workouts vary daily, so we do just about everything. Sprints uphill, total ab days, arm workouts with dumbbells, jogs around the baseball fields and many more grueling tasks. I must say, now I see how celebs can stay in such great shape. This is basically their ONLY job – get a personal trainer and have them literally kick your ass daily. If my company paid me to be in shape, I would do bootcamp year round. Hands down.

I could totally take him right now. I'm just sayin'...

Anyways, wish us luck as we finish the second half of getting in butt-kicking shape. I'll be sure to report back at the end!

~E

J4 the Triathlete

A shoutout to my brave brother, who did his first triathalon last weekend. He has been training for the past 6 months or so to do the Nautica NYC Triathalon! Unfortunately, I couldn't be there to witness the glory of him finishing the race, but my parents and a ton of his friends were there to support and take as many pictures as my dad's camera can hold. After swimming in the Hudson, biking for 25 miles, and running a 10K, he finished 890 out of 3,500. Not too shabby, I might say!

My pops was laying on the ground like a pro photographer to get this shot... No, I'm not kidding.

Swoll Patrol.

~E