Showing posts with label florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label florida. Show all posts

Monday, April 11, 2011

Spring in Michigan!

I think spring peaked it's way out when I was in Florida. Yesterday in Michigan was around 80 degrees! Today it was the high 60s, and it was nice to come home this morning and not freeze. We woke up before 5 AM in Florida to catch our early flight. I slept a little on the plane and arrived home around 11 AM, then headed to work from 12-6 today. I am exhausted. I have things to unpack, things to go over, and need to rebalance myself before doing it all again Friday for California. Today is my day off. It was a wonderful weekend of exercise, but along with the exercise was eating out, snacking, and a few cocktails. Last night we went to Roy's and it was amazing.

Friday, April 8, 2011

8 mile run in the Florida sunshine!

I woke up early, and was wide awake. Why? To run! I was excited for the warm weather, sun, and to get outdoors. I am really looking forward to living in Florida for the next 8 months, and bypass another winter. Anyways, the run. I went to Hanson's back in Michigan yesterday and they gave me samples to try of KT TAPE for my knee. My chiropractor recommended wrapping my knee when I ran so today I tried it out... I don't really know if it helped, but I felt fine. The beginning of my run was rough, I somehow ended up on a path in a golf course and got about 8 mosquito bites. I was itchy, sweaty, and my right ear bud kept falling out. As soon as I got out of the trap though, I felt 100% better. I walked/ ran 8 miles.

I ran/walked 8 miles in 1:43:15.



 I had two shot blocks around mile 5. 

 My running view... 
 After the run was the BEACH and POOL! We went to dinner tonight and I had clam chowder and a mango mahi mahi. It was delicious!



I'm in Bonita with my sister, and three other girlfriends Natalie, Kelly and Sarvy. We had Pinot Grigio at dinner and now we are back at the house the girls want to make drinks. I am going to attempt my 19 miles tomorrow so I need to get up early, so I don't really want to drink anymore...

This post is kind of all over the place because I feel bad being on my computer during "girls weekend", but I am proud and happy that I was able to accomplish 8 miles this morning while the rest of the house slept. I also swam a few laps in the pool, I love swimming! My left foot is bothering me a little, I'm really hoping it will feel better by tomorrow... I'm really hoping to get the 19 miles in before another fun day at the pool and hanging out with the girls. This will be one of my last chances before my big MOVE!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Pittsburgh Marathon!

I'm officially all set up for the Pittsburgh Marathon.  I am so excited! Today I booked my flight. I am leaving Orlando on Saturday and returning Monday. It is going to be a SHORT trip, with a lot of travel, but I didn't want to make it longer since I will be starting my new job just the week before. I was considering leaving Friday night, or early Saturday morning, but my schedule allows me to be rested and just be like a regular weekend with the exception of the majority of it traveling or running. I won the flight and registration from Arctic Ease, and they have been so helpful and accommodating. I can't wait to meet the great people behind it! It will be fun to have people supporting me there, even if I just met them, or barely know them at all. Today was jam packed of errands/ getting ready for Florida. My sister is on her way here right now for a quick dinner before we head off to Bonita Springs for the weekend. I am bringing my laptop to track my runs, which I am 100% committed to doing this weekend. Bring on the sun!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Just one of those days

Today was "just one of those days" where I just felt stressed and uneasy. I am really ready to be done with my previous job, I only have 6 days left which is great. Work went by slow, and I had really bad cramps today. I didn't feel well at all so after school I came home and took a long nap. When I woke up and had dinner, I decided I would do two yoga classes again. I am so happy I did. However, it's 10:46 PM and I am wide awake right now.

Yoga was crowded, very crowded. The Xflowsion class was fun, but at the end of the day the room felt humid and damp. I felt like I got a good workout, but that class is really what you put into it. I stayed after for "Slow drumming Flow" which is basically slow flow with some drum playing. The 2 hours seemed to go by fast, and I was happy to spend some of the day active. I didn't get even half of what I wanted to accomplish today, and tomorrow night I leave for Florida. I am going to bring my laptop. I am excited for the trip, but I haven't packed or anything yet. I'm guessing tomorrow will be another busy morning, but at least I'll know I have the sunshine to look forward too. I'm going to make a conscious effort to drink a LOT of water tomorrow because the weather forecast for this weekend is HOT! I am planning on a long run, short run and swimming in the 3 days weekend. Sounds perfect to me!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Last Day in Orlando :(

I feel like I NEED to be outside right now. The sun is shining, but I am packing and cleaning up the house- because today is my last day in Orlando. I can't believe how fast these 18 days flew by. I set my alarm for 8:30 AM today but for some reason couldn't get out of bed until 9:30. I think my body knew it was my last day and tried fighting me by staying in bed. I had a quick breakfast of granola and a light blue cheese laughing cow  (delicious) and now I am multitasking laundry, packing, blogging and setting up last minute meetings. Yesterday went great, each contact I met with forwarded me to a different contact I am meeting with today.

I am meeting two different people today. I am hoping to get a run in before that, since it will be my last run in this beautiful weather until my Florida and California trip in April. I heard a lot of great things about Disneyland in California and am excited to check it out. I also heard about a museum in San Francisco called "The Walt Disney Family Museum" which I would love to see.

There are a few running articles I came across that I want to look into, I will post them after I do. One is "101 Greatest Tips" and the other is a debate between running with music or without.

I need to finish up here, I feel like I have one million things to do today and not enough time to finish everything I want to accomplish!

Also, I was mentioned by Arctic Ease on twitter. My first mention! It linked to my blog where I talked about using the wrap after my run. Fun!


Tweets mentioning @stylerunning

»
 Arctic Ease 

@ 
@ thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the race & that we could help ease the pain :-)
 Arctic Ease 

Thanks for a great mention!  via @
 Orlando Bad Drivers 

RT @: Orlando has impatient drivers... Everyone honks!
 Arctic Ease 

its a fun race for your 1St RT @: Less than a month until my first half marathon! Disney Princess Marathon, here I come! :)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sushi Picnic

It is beautiful out today. B E A U T I F U L! And yes, I am currently enjoying a sushi picnic in the front yard. We had about 9 rolls leftover from last night's dinner and we took them home so I could finish them for lunch today! They are tasty, but I stand by yesterday that they are not my favorite rolls in the world.


I slept in until 9:30 AM today and woke up, took care of the dog and changed into my running clothes. I had to take my brother to the airport, but I figured if I was already in my running clothes and tennis shoes I would go on my run right when I got home instead of getting on the computer and laying around. That is exactly what I did! I came home, and went almost immediately out the door. It was probably high 70s during my run, a little hot but I really enjoyed it and it made me sad to think I will be back in the snow in a few short days.

I didn't really have a plan for my run so I just kind of went out of the neighborhood and kept going. Originally I thought maybe I would go about 3-4 miles but it was so nice outside I did a slow 5.

I ran 5 miles in 51:57. 

I came home and did a few stretches, sit ups and push ups outside in the front then took the dog for a quick loop around the block. His hip has been hurting him so I haven't taken him far, but every time I leave the house he tries to come with me!

I thought about training during my run today, and how I actually miss having my schedule to look at and know exactly how far I have to do the next day. I am excited to find a new training schedule, and possibly even longer for the marathon. Also, I think it will be really fun to add intervals which scared me at first. Hopefully the weather will reach the 50s soon at home, anything under that is a little cold for me.

Well I have about a hour left in the sunshine until I have to get ready to go to my Meet & Greet at Disney! I debated stopping at the Lululemon outlet on my way, but like I mentioned before- I really wasn't too impressed by it. Maybe it could be like a "hit or miss" though, the store is sometime like that as well. Also, I've spent a little out of my expected budget on this trip so far, so it might be best to just enjoy the weather :)

One more exciting thing, on my Nike plus I am ONE mile away from the next level. I'm not exactly sure what it means, but I'm excited to get out of the green and onto the blue!

Monday, March 7, 2011

The WIzarding World Of Harry Potter!

I know it's past midnight, so technically I missed another blog day. HOWEVER- today was another BUSY and FUN day. I woke up about 7:30 AM to get ready, take the dog out- feed him/ etc. before HARRY POTTER today. We left the house around 8:25 AM to make our way to Universal Studios. (We is my brother and I). We parked with little to no traffic, and basically ran through the CityWalk with excitement to reach The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. When we got to the ticket counter, we debated between a one park entrance or two, which would allow us to spend half the day at Universal Studios, but we decided on just getting Islands of Adventures pass. Instead, we paid a extra $25 to get a "Express Pass" which allowed us to wait in a separate line at the rides which was ultimately shorter. This pass was worth it, we ended up waiting no more than 10 minutes for rides that had over a hour wait.

So, FINALLY it was time for Harry Potter! One annoying thing about Universal in general is that they don't allow bags on any of the main attractions. Therefore the line to get into the Castle was so long and we didn't realize the long line was only for people with bags. The ride was called "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey"  and all I can say is WOW! This was very impressive. Definitely a highlight of our day, so much we went on it 3 times. This is a ride you can't use your fast pass for, so my suggestion is to GO SINGLE RIDERS! You stay in line with the person you are with, but then when it's time to ride the ride you sit with strangers. Big deal, you would most likely sit next to a stranger anyways and you can't talk during the ride. Take advantage of single riders! There were lines everywhere at Harry Potter. Even to get into the stores! The other rides were not as impressive, however I did enjoy looking around "Honeydukes Sweetshop". Of course we had to try the famous "butterbeer". I have heard mixed reviews, but I absolutely LOVED IT!

After Harry Potter, we hit EVERY ride in Islands of Adventures. Including the water rides, which were a mistake because it wasn't warm enough to be walking around soaked! Highlights in Islands of Adventures include "The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man" and the Dr. Suess section. We ate lunch in "Jurassic Park" area. We had a great time, but there is something about leaving Universal and leaving Disney. I just always have that "feeling" after leaving Disney that lacks at Universal. I can't explain what it is exactly, but I think Disney does a better job, all around.
We had a sushi dinner at Hanamizuki Japanese Restaurant which was close to the park. The food was great! We had soft shell crab, seaweed salad, udon noodles and sushi. I have to admit, I didn't care for the sushi as much as the other food, but it was a good meal. We stopped at downtown Disney after to do some last minute shopping, and I got the cutest St. Patricks Day Mickey Moues t-shirt. We also stopped at Goofy's Candy Co. and picked out a chocolate chip cookie to share. I really just wanted to go into the store and look and how cute and perfect all the desserts looked!

We walked a LOT today, but I am still excited to go on a run tomorrow. I know what I need to do when I get home, include YOGA and strength training with my running. I am excited to start training again for the Chicago marathon, do sprints for a few 5ks and 10ks over the summer, and possibly even a MARATHON! 

Mickey sprinkles!
Don't these just make you smile?
My new shirt! I love it! I bought it with my Disney Dollars :)
It's 1 AM and I am absolutely EXHAUSTED! I have a BIG day tomorrow- I am going to a "Meet & Greet" at Disney, and having dinner with a Graphic Designer at Disney! Hopefully I will get a tour of the design department. I am really excited!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Ahhh!

I ran my 4.01 miles in 36:21.

This is how all my runs look on my nikeID- I am thinking of switching over to the Garmin however, since my watch was a little off in the half... What running tools are your favorites?

It's crazy to think since I bought this watch last summer I have spent 135 hours running (nearly 6 days!) and traveled 612 miles. I wonder how far exactly 612 miles is? I mapquested a few places, and from Grosse Pointe to Chattanooga, TN is 626 miles! In a few more miles I could have ran to Tennessee! Funny to think of it like that.

The run was great! Now I'm drinking protein, going to do some sit ups, yoga stretches then shower and head to Winter Park! I think I'll be fine for the 5k tomorrow.

Fiddler's Green 5k!

My fiddler is ready! Time to shake some shamrocks! Kiss me I'm Irish! These are the only Irish terms I know. But yes, I signed up! For the Fiddler's Greek 5k in my new favorite town of Winter Park!

I wanted to do a St. Patty's run. AND I have a green shirt to wear tomorrow! Perfect!

I am going to Winter Park today for lunch or dinner to get my race stuff. I'm excited! The money benefits the Special Olympics of Florida. Wish me luck, I haven't ran all week! Off to my run (for real) now.

Happy Friday!

WOW I was sleepy! It was so nice to go to sleep knowing I could sleep in the next day. I can't believe I only have less than a week left of my Orlando adventure, it is FLYING by and I'm loving every minute. I woke up at 9:30 AM today, which gave me a nice 9 hours of sleep! I just ate some breakfast: organic greek yogurt, flax seeds, strawberries, blueberries with a little granola on top and now I am just letting it settle a minute before getting ready for a RUN! The weather is absolutely perfect, 75 and sunny- I can't even imagine better running weather.

Look what I found on my phone- it's the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and it was quite impressive, however my favorite was this little guy. POOH BEAR!


I am debating right NOW if I'm going to do the run or not tomorrow, basically once I hear if my friend is coming tonight or tomorrow I'll make the decision! Happy Friday!