running – French Fry Runner

Rex Lee Run 5K Recap

This race was great! And considering I didn’t want to actually run that morning, it was especially great to get an official PR!

The race started at 9:15 a.m., which was awesome. Gotta love that fact that it’s still cold enough in Utah to start the race later in the morning. The race was around one of our local universities and really familiar since I went to that school and ran at least part of that same course almost every day–not to mention that a lot of local races are run on the course . . . Anyway . . . It was still really chilly when I got to the race, so I debated a long time whether to wear a jacket. I ended up deciding to, and that was a good choice. I got a little warm, but not bad.

The race started promptly (love that), and we were off! I’d decided to run a solid effort of 30-32 minutes, depending on how I felt. Well, I felt great the entire time! The first half mile was uphill, so I trudged on up at a good clip, going by effort. Then the rest of the race was downhill and flat. I tried to keep a sub-10:00 pace, and when I glanced at my watch, I was actually running 9:38s. Crazy!

My final time was 29:58 (9:40/mi), which I was definitely pleased with. And it’s a PR! I guess I’m a faster runner than I thought! It’s awesome to see improvement, and I owe it to all the strength training I’ve been doing. I love having strong legs and a strong core. That will help my half marathon and marathon efforts this year for sure.

Back to the race, they gave us awesome food at the end and held a magic show for the kids and a raffle too. The raffle was kind of lame, but hey. Oh, and we got gender-specific tech shirts this year, which is an improvement over the normal unisex T-shirts. Overall, a solid race!

#RexLee Run 5K Recap via @FrenchFryRunner #fitnessfriday #fitfam Click To Tweet

I’m linking up with Jill for Fitness Friday and with the DC Trifecta for the Friday Five (Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia).

How’s your training going?

Are you racing this weekend?

Try Something New!

Sorry this is posting a bit late! For the Fit Dish Link-up this week, the topic is “Try Something New!”

I like trying new things because you might end up finding something you love. For example, I used to hate running. I played sports way back in high school, so running was a punishment. In college I took up running for exercise because I needed a way to de-stress and I didn’t need any special equipment. I ran nearly every day. I got in great shape and ran my first 5K. I always go back to running first when I need to get in better shape. (Because I know I’ve let my fitness slide more than once! Yikes.) And now I’m training for my first marathon! Who would have thought?

Then a couple years ago, I found yoga. I found out that I loved it, and it’s one of my favorite exercises. It’s a fantastic way to center yourself and strengthen your body.

Finally, a couple months ago, I went to my first Body Pump class. Man, it was tough, but for some reason I loved how I felt after. I finally found a group fitness class I like! And I’m finally seeing muscles! Woo! Even though the class is challenging, I can’t get enough. Now I get so excited to increase my weight on the bar and make it through sets without breaks.

Here are some tips for trying a new class.

Think about the type of exercise you’re lacking in your routine. I was missing strength training, so I first took up yoga and then, later, Body Pump.
Check out your local gym’s schedule. Are there any classes on there that you’ve heard of but never tried before? Pick one that fits your schedule and check it out.
Go to at least three classes. The first class is always weird because you’re unfamiliar with how it’s run, the instructor’s style, etc. Three classes gives you enough opportunity to get used to things and see whether you want to continue.
Pick out the positive. If you end up not liking the new class, what were the things you liked the most? Use those positives to pick out the next class. For example, if you find you don’t like Pilates, but you really enjoy the stretching, maybe you can try yoga next.
Remember that no one is judging you. If you’re trying a new class, you might feel uncomfortable. This is totally normal. Take a deep breath and focus on yourself, have fun, and maybe you’ll just find the right class for you.

I’m linking up with April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Patty from My No-Guilt Life, and Erika from MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run! Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

This post is also linked up with others for The Fit Dish Link-Up. Thanks to Jill Conyers at JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy at TheFitSwitch.org for hosting. Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

What’s your new favorite class?

Yoga or Pilates?

How are you doing today?

Week in Review: January 26-February 1

Another week has gone by, and I had some pretty solid workouts. I’m seeing some serious progress, and there’s no stopping me! 🙂

Workouts in Review

Here’s the rundown for the week:

Monday: 38 minutes on the StairMaster. Good times.

Tuesday: 1-hour pump class

Wednesday: Run 2.6 miles

Thursday: 1-hour pump class (which included 100 lunges… yikes)

Friday: 15 minutes of yoga/stretching

Saturday: Run 4 miles (week two of Jeff Galloway’s half marathon training plan)

Sunday: Rest

What I’m Most Proud Of

I added in yoga like I said I would last week. I need to add more, but I’m okay with the effort last week. I’m also stoked I hit two days of pump. I’m addicted. 🙂

Where I Fell Short

I’m not logging everything I ate on here, but I definitely fell short on my eating. I’m working on less sugar and more vegetables this week.

Training

I’m training for a half marathon in May and have started my training plan. I’m following Jeff Galloway’s half plan, which I’m using so I won’t get injured. I’ve run intervals before, but I always did something like run 9 minutes and walk 1 minute. This time, I’m mixing it up, so this weekend for my 4-miler on Saturday, I ran 2:30 and walked 1:30. I don’t think the interval was quite right–I felt my walk interval was too long–so I think for my 5-miler this weekend, I’ll run 2:30 or 3:00 and walk 1:00.

Thought for the Week Ahead

It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs.” –Jillian Michaels

Let’s work hard this week! Don’t forget to visit Jesica’s blog and check out her weekly update post and other linked-up posts. I’m also linking up with Tara from Running ‘n’ Reading for her Weekend Update link-up.

How was your week/weekend?

Did your team win?