Run or Dye

It's been a very eventful the last several days. With guests and Halloween adventures! I was happy to have a few days off work for most of it. Thursday morning i was able to get a run in during DAYLIGHT hours! oh man... it was glorious! see pic on the left for proof. There really is nothing quite like it. Even more rewarding that I was among the vibrant trees. Color was literally pouring out of the leaves. I had a coworker from our Ukrainian office come over and stay for a few days. So we did the whole DC thing. Got to play tour guide and show her the beautiful sights our Nation's Capital has to offer. All that jazz. So even though I only got one daytime run in, I was able to walk around DC all day Thursday through Saturday. I mean the point is to keep moving, right? I also learned this past weekend that i have a serious obsession with tress in the fall! haha

RUN OR DYE

The BFFs and I at Run or Dye in DC

I mentioned in my last post about the Run or Dye 5k race that was coming up with the BFFs. Well we did it and it was A LOT of fun. We had to run through a few tunnels with people throwing powder dye at us. Sounds fun, right? too bad it was hard to breathe and see while running through these mists of color and the occasional person throwing a whole handful into your face. Zoila, was not so lucky running through the yellow tunnel. No. It seemed they had it out for her. The left half of her face was covered in yellow by the time she made it all the way through. I'm not gonna lie, i had to stop for a bit because i was laughing so much. The occasional child would scream out "YELLOW FACE!" and one spectator coming in while we were leaving made a passing comment of "wow! some people really got hit hard!" hahahaha i'm probably laughing a little too much about it for her liking. Sorry Z, but it was effin hilarious! So all in all it was a good run. It was great to do it as a team. To start together and even finish holding hands through the finish line. AWW we're so cute aren't we! haha This weekend is the Reston Nearly Naked Mile race to run. I'm thinking a tutu, some body paint and a fuzz bra... that should do it! What can i say? i love running :)

Welcome to MY gym :)

Raven Rocks - AT

Stretch-In on the AT

I decided to take some PTO yesterday and head out to enjoy the beautiful day. Leave it to the BFF to take the day off with me and head out to the mountains. I love that I live so close to some of the stretches of the AT. In less than an hour I'm out and wonderfully lost on trails full of beauty! :)

What was special about this hike was that it was with this particular BFF. She is what you would call a gym rat. Straight body building. Works hard all day every day to achieve everything she can and more. She's not afraid to lift heavy and train with the guys. She has earned her right into the bro life. The reason I say this is because we both share a deep passion for what we do. I love running and she lifts, but at the end of the day we just love our active lifestyle. We've done a few obstacle races together and have killed it! We make a great team together. She trains at the gym for the most part. And well, those who know me know i only go to the gym if I have to. Please don't confuse that to mean, i don't strength train or that I hate the gym. I don't. I started there too once upon a time, but i just love being outside. I don't care if it's running, walking, biking, kayaking, paddling, basketball, soccer, hiking... the list goes on! If it's outside, I'm all for it! I love it and I have found several ways to get my strength training in without a gym. I still go when I can and during the colder months, i'm def spending more time there than outside. I mean you can understand why, right? lol i'm not an idiot either! The gym is a great place to train and focus more on specific areas. WELL yesterday I took my BFF out to MY gym. We made it to one of the overlooks and started working out. I only put a couple action shots in my pic here, but we did everything from push ups, dips to bicycle kicks, bridges, yoga, planks, etc. It's just fun for us and pretty neat to take gym life to the outdoors for a bit. On our way back we missed our turn off to head back and ended up roaming random parts of the AT for about 2 hours! *sigh* good times! haha All in all though it was really a great time. Great workout with the BFF and the weather could not have been anymore perfect. A little 10 mile hike on a Monday afternoon? Yea you know ...Just another day in the life  :)

Fancy Feet!

#Go Fasters

So I've had the most wonderful time breaking in my new kicks! You gotta admit, they're pretty fresh *brushing off shoulders* and they totally make me run faster #GoFasters! So, I know these are very popular among runners and although I've been doing this running thing for a while now, these are my first real running shoes. My very own Nike Free Runs! I made some edits by changing up the laces, but i think it adds a nice touch. You gotta think outside the box.
I will say that actually running in my new gofasters was absolutely AMAZING! My feet felt so much lighter and beautiful! that's right... i said beautiful! My shirt might also have contributed to the runners high too. Every time i passed other runners or walkers they would wave and laugh. Of course It was my new "Move Your A$$" shirt. It's quickly becoming a favorite. I did however, experience minor discomfort as the inside of my foot kept rubbing against the inside of the shoe. After a few miles it becomes a bit of a problem. I'm thinking change up the socks i'm using now. Maybe loosen up the laces? Trial and error i guess. Hoping for a trial and WIN tomorrow morning since I have my Susan G Komen Global Race for the Cure event in DC. It's supposed to be raining all morning. Should be interesting... running in my new kicks, a tutu, beads, and headband, decked out in pink among hundreds of others doing the same. Seriously, what more could you ask for that early in the morning on a Saturday?! haha i don't care... I LOVE IT!! 
In other news, i was asked to join a paddle team participating in the DC Dragon Boat Race event next weekend. You know those cool boats that look like the Chinese dragons! I heard about this event a couple years ago, but forgot all about it. Until now. Apparently this team is down a few members and needed someone to step in. Can i just say that I am so very happy they thought to ask ME?! I've got ZERO experience in this, but you know I'm game for just about anything. I get to practice with them tomorrow for a few hours after my Susan G Komen race. So stay tuned for my weekend adventures recap!

Ready... Set... GO!

Wasted Potential - Season 3

Earlier this week i had the luxury of joining my team again for another game. I love playing with them. It's our 3rd season together and win or lose it's always a great time. Sure i'm no Messi, but i can run the crap outa that field! I really need to work on my skills though. I was totally slacking that night except for about 2 whole minutes where i started doing tricks with the ball that I had no idea i was even capable of doing. All i heard was everyone cheering me on up until i lost the ball. If only i could remember what i did! haha whoops! Well, we definitely LOST that game 6-3, but it was great to see them all again. I had missed the last few games due to some things going on at home, but I gotta say... game nights are by far my favorite nights of the week! Though what I lack in skill, I make up for in baking cupcakes for the team! LOL Right there is a little collage of the team this year. Still missing some key players, but i'll just snap more pics next game :)

Lacing Up for Saturday

So there are only just a few days left till my first running for a cause event. I will be participating in the Susan G Komen Global Race for the Cure this weekend in DC. I'm super excited! Spent the last few months fundraising and recently hit up the co-workers at my office for money *crossing fingers that someone donates today* I think my greatest achievement for raising money was receiving a donation from a restaurant nearby. It was nice to have been able to get support from a local business, but we all know i'm really just excited to do some more running because really I just can't get enough. I also ruined my last pair of shoes this past weekend at the Hero Rush obstacle race, but it was time to retire them anyway. Finally got me a fresh pair of Nike Free Runs that I've been eyeing for a while now. Something about new gear... always pumps me up. It's addicting really. Every time I go shopping, I end up buying more workout gear and then i wonder why i never have anything nice to wear when i'm going out. haha oh well... I feel prettiest when i'm working out anyway. I only have a day or two to break these in before Saturdays run, though. This should be interesting... new shoes, in the rain, wearing a tutu among hundreds of other women. Seems legit!

How's that for motivation!

do more, live more, run more

Saturday morning was my first 10k. Plugged in the wrong address for destination and long story short - ended up running with the 5k-ers! I was so upset. I was really looking forward to seeing where I was for a 10k. I guess another time. A friend of mine was signed up for the 5k so I started with her and eventually moved up hoping to run into the 10k crowd. They were nowhere in site, though. Came up to a water station and thought to myself how I should take a cup of water and try to drink it as I run. I had seen this done in videos and I had heard of it being quite difficult, but I had to see for myself. Well, let's just say 5% of the water in the cup actually made it into my mouth. The rest made it onto my face and shirt! I eventually made the halfway loop on the 5k to turn back and ran into my friend from the starting line. I decided i would loop around and run with her to get some more miles in. It actually ended up being a lot of fun and continued throughout the race. I would make loops back and around to her until she completed the 5k. Figured maybe I wont get to do the 10k, but i can at least make my own 8k while i'm here! I had gotten to the last water station and turned around to find my friend. Ran back again and realized that station was about a quarter mile from the finish line. So i decided to do another loop. I had gotten so close to the water station, I could hear everyone cheering and letting us know how close we were. I smiled awkwardly as i knew they were not going to expect me to loop back around again. As i turned quietly to run back, I heard a woman ask what I was doing and a man behind me yell "Jesus Christ! How's that for motivation!" haha i'm not going to lie. It totally made me laugh. Caught up to my friend, told her the story and kept encouraging her to start running again so we could finish and that's exactly what we did! We finished!
Maybe I didn't get my 10k, but I think i made the most out of this 5k and had a wonderful time. The weather was beautiful, warm and sunny. The people were positive and friendly. Best part? There was food everywhere for the runners. We got ourselves re-hydrated and situated then headed back home where I spent the afternoon at the batting cages! A wonderful weekend indeed  :)

Breath of Fresh Air

"It's the only sport in the world where if a competitor falls, the others around will pick him or her up. It's the only sport in the world open to absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or any other division you can think of. It's the only occasion when thousands of people assemble, often in a major city, for a reason that is totally peaceful, healthy and well-meaning. It's the only sport in the world where no one ever boos anybody." -Runners World

It's so true when they say running is cheaper than therapy. I don't know where I'd be had i never decided to take those first few steps outside my door, but what I love most about running is basking and breathing in nature's beauty. There is no other sport that can bring me to such a state of tranquility. To be surrounded by beautiful trees, flowers and sunshine... it's really quite soothing. It's the only way I can really clear my head.
With recent events, I've lost most of the remaining little bit of faith I had in humanity(Boston Marathon attacks) and as I ran to my playlist this evening, I noticed most of my community outside doing some kind of activity. Spouses going for an evening walk together, mothers out with their daughters, kids shooting hoops and fathers playing catch or basketball with their children. Some were working in their garden while others were out riding bikes. There were definitely quite a few runners as well as individual walkers. Such an active community and what better way to keep the messages positive and the spirits lively! Active lifestyles lead to positive thoughts. Happy people don't just go around killing other people! If we could just take the initiative, get outside our box and visit or care for our neighbors, this world would be a much better place! 

Today's Fitness Goal: better my endurance on inclines to prepare for Saturday's race!