Three point Two Things Thursday

1. Cola and I had a great run yesterday. Perfect winter day in between the storms.  We are supposed to get another 7-8 inches this weekend.  Ugh!   I decided to do a few hill repeats for the first time in forever and they felt great.  Although they kicked my butt, I admit I only did 4 :)

I then ran some easy miles before finishing with two miles of telephone pole repeats and a mile pushing at a hard pace, for a total of 8 miles.

2. I did pre-run and post-run yoga that I found on you tube.  Felt good to get in a good warm up before hand and a good stretch after.   This is possibly one of my favorite stretches.  Feels so good in the hips!

I just got these great Tommie Copper tights in the mail three days ago and have been living in them ever since. Love the chocolate brown color, a fun change from black all the time.

3.1 I have been looking for my black Swirlgear jacket for about two months now.  I was to the point where I thought maybe I had left it out on the road during a run when I got too hot and had lost it forever.  Found it today.  In the coat closet under another coat.  YAY!   So I have been wearing it while I blog.

yep, still have my hat on from running too.

3.2  Cocogo was super awesome and sent me sample packs for everyone at work who is doing the Shape Up Montana challenge.    AWESOME! I also think grape is my favorite flavor now. 

You can get 40% off Cocogo purchases if you use the code CHRISTYRUNS if you are interested in trying some out. No artificial anything = awesome.

No running, but good things

Sometimes all we hear about on the news is bad things,  gets a little old and discouraging.  Yesterday morning on my way to work I saw great people in action everywhere.  Blurry picture, but you get the idea, we just got a lot more snow up to 16 inches in some places.  It's cold and snowy.

I saw a pickup truck pull over and give a person struggling to push their bike in the snow a ride.  I saw three different cars on a short stretch of road stuck in the snow, and being pushed out by people who pulled over to help them out.  Awesome.

I have had the winter blahs lately.  Felt the like the sun hadn't shone in over a week.  It's just been cold, grey skies and windy.  When I got off work today...

yep sunshine.  Still cold, but the sun made me smile all the way home.  It's supposed to be sunny today too before we get another possible 8 inches of snow this weekend.  It's breaking snow records here. 

I also got interviewed yesterday for the 5 year anniversary of our surgery center being open.  They are going to make some kind of a video for their youtube channel and Facebook page.  They should have warned a girl I would have put on a little more makeup!  I do love my job and the people I work with make it so much better. 

Hoping to run today after work at least a little, before the sunshine disappears again for awhile.

Week in review and Sweatpink

Large areas of our lawn and field behind the house are sheets of ice, although this morning you can't see it thanks to the 8 inches of snow that fell last night, so we spent a lot of time sliding on the ice and my son came up with the idea to play hockey with baseball bats and rocks.  Pretty fun, but we spent a lot of time bent over as all the bats we have are really short for little kids!

I became a Sweatpink Ambassador last week and am having a hard time finding anyone I know on there to get "friends".  So if you are on there, let me know your user name so I can find you. That would be awesome :)

Speaking of Sweatpink, these little girls were either working out or napping on my elliptical.

The pedals do make pretty good beds for my daughter's babies.  


Sunday                 6 mile run
                             22 minute HIIT
                             30 minutes yoga
Monday                75 minutes elliptical
                             20 minute HIIT
                             35 minutes power yoga
Tuesday               20 minute HIIT
Wednesday          65 minutes elliptical
Thursday              6 mile run after work (I got off a little early)
Friday                  Rest day
Saturday               60 minutes yoga
                             30 minute HIIT Dirty Thirty on PEAR Sports app

Overall a pretty good week.  I'm calling it a win.
Yoga  3
Stength 4
Run 2 12 miles I wanted to run Monday but had a "sick" kid and Saturday it just didn't work out
Elliptical 205 minutes


I have been using a PEAR sport app on my iphone along with their heartrate monitor and am currently going through the Dirty Thirty, which is 5 thirty minute workouts, two running and three strength.  I wasn't sure at first I would like it, but I am liking the extra push and the heartrate feedback is great.  Here is a look at the stats from the two I have done so far. 

It's really hard sometimes to stay within the prescribed heartrate zone! 

I did better on the second one, although I did sorta cheat and do it on my elliptical since I don't have a treadmill and it was blizzardy outside. A full review will be coming soon.

How was your week last week? Are you a Sweatpink Ambassador?  If you are let's be friends! Tell me your user name or check out my profile and friend me.

Also I still have a giveaway going on for an Apera Sprint pack

Some Saturday Randomness

I have been running in Altra Torins for almost a year now and just started running in the Intuition 1.5s.  Kind of in love with them.  They just came out with the Torin 1.5, and the Intuition 2.0  since I just got two new pairs of Altras in November I will have to just admire them from afar for now. The new colors are so pretty! I want!

 They both came out in three new colors, but since I have really been wanting green running shoes for awhile now, those are the ones that I will show you.

So pretty!

 The blue ones are really pretty too.

I recently became a Cocogo Ambassador, you can get Cocogo 40% off with the code CHRISTYRUNS at their online store.  As a little disclaimer I do earn free product for sales. If you are wondering what Cocogo is, I did a review of it HERE or you can check out their website at Cocogo.com.

I finally discovered Fitness Blender on Youtube thanks to Becka .  I kept reading about them on her blog, but for some reason I decided they must be DVDs. See what I know. There are tons of great free workouts.  YAY.  I haven't done any yet, but I did spend some time flagging some that I think I would like to do. The one I watched looked pretty killer. 

I did try Zuzka's ZCut Power Yoga 1 video and found it... interesting.  It is a little like yoga, and a little like a workout.  I was certainly tired when I was done.  I decided I like my yoga to be more stretchy.  That is after all why I am doing it.  I may or may not do the video again, but I won't classify it in my head as yoga though.

Apera Bags Review and Giveaway

I was recently contacted by Stacy at Apera bags and to our delight we discovered that I live very close to a lot of her family in Montana.  In fact I went to the same high school as some of her cousins.  Small world!

What's the deal with Apera bags?  What makes them so unique and great?

They are designed to be healthier, with built in antimicrobial protection, linings that are wipeable and venting to keep your bag and belonging dry and free from odors.

I confess I haven't really had a new gym bag in a while a) I don't belong to a gym b)it hasn't been a top priority.  I have been using this bag that I got in high school when I go to races or travel, it also used to serve as my gym bag. It's been through a couple of relays.

ugly and boring

Meet my new travel, race and relay bag the Apera Performance Duffel bag

• There are 9 zippers on this bag.  9!  Lots of pockets to stay organized!
• Two great pockets on the front of the bag for your water bottles to keep you hydrated

• Comes with a small zippered bag to put wet things in to keep the rest of your things dry and clean.

• Antimicrobial protection
• Large pocket on the back great for putting the small zippered bag full of wet, or stinky things into.  or anything you want really, it's a big pocket!

• Water resistant base if I set it in something wet, the contents stay dry.
• Two vented compartments, one on each end of the bag that are great for storing shoes to keep the rest of your things clean and dirt free.

• Several padded pockets great for my iPad, iPhone, camera, sunglasses etc.  Keys would be great here too so you can find them easily.

This easily will become my new travel and race bag.  No more digging around trying to find things. Check out all the pockets on the roomy inside!  The bag opens wide so you can find things easily. 

this is with a pair of shoes on each end.

In case you were curious about it

Their bags all come in four different colors. Black, blue, pearl, and fuchsia. And all blue bags are 40% off right now as well as the Duffel packs.

Apera has generously offered to giveaway one of their Sprint Packs.  These bags are the same bags they donate to the Special Olympics for every three bags they sell.

Three Things Thursday

1.  I was a total wimp yesterday.  It wasn't that cold out (37 degrees) but the crazy winds got me. I  did an elliptical workout instead of battling the wind and muddy roads.  Lame I know, but Season 2 of House of Cards did get released recently and did I mention the wind?  I could hardly open the door to let the dog out.

2.  I ordered some of Zuzka's new DVDs I was only really going to get her kettle bell set since it is geared for beginner kettle bells and I feel like I have so much I could learn from mine, but then I decided to try the yoga and threw in the ZCUT since it was on sale.  It should take me awhile to get through all of this!

I think my favorite DVD from her is the 6 pack abs one.  I never get tired of it and get a great workout every time.  My biggest gripe with Zuzka is that she seems to spend a lot of time doing leg work and not very much on arms, but her arms are very ripped so I feel like she is doing something besides her workouts to get them so buff. 

3. UGH I feel like I keep gaining just a little bit more and a little bit more weight.  Kind of frustrating but is retrospect my eating has not been very good lately.  I just want to eat comfort foods and am so tired of winter.  Not a great excuse I know but it's what I got.  I think a huge help would be to just cut out eating so much sugar.  But wow I love that stuff.  Why does it have to be so good?

What is your workout obsession right now?  Mine is yoga and kettlebells.
What's your food obsession?  Sugar

Winner of the Gone for a Run Giveaway is posted.. it's Kathy M.  She has been notified and now has 48 hours to get me her info!

A mental health day

My daughter had a tummy ache yesterday morning, it seemed pretty bad until the bus left the driveway.  I considered making her get dressed and meeting the bus at another stop, but then decided sometimes we all just need a mental health day and let her stay home with me.  I think she approved.

All except for the part where I made her clean her room, but it does look better!

Since she was home and it was crazy windy out I used that as an excuse to catch up on the latest Downton Abbey episode and exercised on the elliptical instead of running.  Lame I know, but I really love that show!

Did you know Runnersworld.com has yoga videos just for runners? They have three, so far I have only done the first one, but intend to try the other two. 

Also my Gone For a Run $20 gift card giveaway ends tomorrow!

Have you ever taken a mental health day?  If my boss is reading this..no.

Flying Mud

Weekends fly by don't they.  I had to go to work on Saturday,normally I don't work weekends, but we started doing invitro fertilization at the surgery center a year or so ago and when eggs need to be harvested they need to be harvested and when embryos are ready to be implanted they need to be implanted. They don't quite understand the Monday through Friday concept.  It is so neat to get to be in on hopefully helping start a family.

I am sure Cola was disgusted since Saturday was also the most beautiful day ever, sunny almost 50, and not windy!  I didn't run though since my mileage was already pretty high (for me lately) for the week.

You just wasted good running weather Mom. 

 I did take him out for a run yesterday.  It is melting snow everywhere and so the roads are getting muddy.  Since I am not running for speed or time I decided to play with the self timer camera app on my phone.  It's way harder than I thought to get a cool running photo with it.

I did capture mud flying as I ran over the phone

 Kind of a neat picture

 and Cola and I in the distance.  They aren't the best photos, does anyone know of a camera timer app that takes great photos?

 My dog would also like it known he really kinda hates to take selfies with me, he would rather look anywhere than at the camera.

 I also cleaned the fridge and finally replaced the burned out light bulb in it.  My son looked in the refrigerator and said "wow, it's all new"!  No, I just cleaned it! Apparently it was overdue.

Things are looking up!

Sunday          62 minutes yoga
                      80 minutes elliptical
                      25 minute HIIT
                      15 minutes yoga
Monday         3 mile run
                      15 minutes yoga
Tuesday        30 minutes yoga
Wednesday   6 mile run
                      25 minute kettle bell workout
Thursday      8 mile run
                     22 minute HIIT
Friday            40 minutes elliptical
                     35 minutes yoga
Saturday       22 minute HIIT workout
                     perfect weather for a run, but I am freaked about how good my quad is feeling so I made it a rest from running and elliptical day since my mileage was the highest it's been in months!

Whew, that was quite a procuctive week!  Lets break it down

Runs          3 for a grand total of 17 miles!! no set goal
Strength    4 goal is 3
Yoga          4  goal is 3
Elliptical   2 (20 minutes) no set goal

I felt like I kind of rocked it this week.  The best part by far was Thursday's 8 mile run.  The first half was a little slow since I was calibrating a heart rate monitoring program and it involved some walking, but the last miles were pure amazing.  Best run in months.  I was only going to do 5, but then that felt so good and the weather was so amazing, I thought 6 won't hurt.  6 came and went and I settled on 7.  My favorite run distance.  At 7 miles I wanted to run more more more, I was in the sweet spot on feeling like I could run forever.

In other news Swirlgear released their new line on Friday.

The long sleeve shirts have thumb holes now..YAY. 

I ordered a couple of things, the long sleeve grey shirt and the short sleeve red being two of them.  I want it all!  You can check out the full line Swirlgear.com and use the code "swirlon" to get free shipping.

How was your week?
Are you obsessed with thumb holes too? Are you always a little sad when a running shirt doesn't have them.  I am.

Yoga thoughts and benefits

 So I have been doing yoga since the week before New Year's in a desperate effort to get my injuries healed and back to running strong.

Initial yoga thoughts

• it's slow
• its boring
• %#@*  when did I get so inflexible?
• I'll try anything if it helps me

Current thoughts

• gaining some flexiblilty
• actually loving the stretches and the pace of it
• I think it is helping (I'm getting better anyway)
• wow I am still so inflexible

Yesterday I got off work a little early so I popped in my favorite yoga video and when I got to triangle pose  (?)  my fingers touched the floor.  I gave a little victory whoop.  When I started I looked a lot like this.. only probably not so graceful

now my fingers look more like this. Yay for progress.  I am seeing it in other moves as well, this one was just very exciting!

Only took me seven weeks of yoga!  Maybe in a couple more weeks I will be able to put all my fingers down!

Are you wondering if yoga could help your running?  Here are some benefits according to studies done.

• improves strength, flexibility and mental focus
• eases pain
• improves running times
• strength and flexibility gained help you run more efficiently and stay injury free

So far, I like to think it is helping me. I did some last spring when first injured but then I quit. Really intending to keep it a habit this time. Do you stretch or do yoga? If so what are your favorite poses/stretches? I love downward facing dog and anything that stretches my hips and hamstrings.

Gone For a Run Review and a Giveaway

Recently I became a Gone For a Run ambassador which will mean getting to review some of their products every couple of months.   In case you haven't heard of Gone For a Run, they have a mind boggling amount of things for runners.  A great place to shop for your sweetheart for Valentine's, your runner friends, or of course your self.

I picked out a commuter cup and ponytail hat off the list I was given.

There were a lot of designs on the cup to pick from and each one also comes in three different colors red, black and blue.  I picked this one with all the inspirational words and the runner girl.

I've been taking it to work with me in the mornings, besides doing a great job of keeping my coffee or tea hot, it also has this great flip top lid which when closed doesn't leak when turned upside down.

I also love that the lid screws on to keep a tight seal.  I have a problem with spilling things in my car.

I have always wanted a ponytail hat, now I think all hats should have them.  Kind of like all long sleeve running shirts should have thumb holes.  It's intuitive, it feels like an extra bit of love on it, and it makes me happy.

Like the commuter cups the ponytail hats come in three different colors, pink, blue, and black.  I got my hat to match my cup.

They also come with a lot of great sayings on them like

• Pain now, wine later
• Runnergirl
• Eat, sleep, run, repeat
• runner

It's made of a high performance sweat wicking material and stays on great while running

Want to try out one of these, or something else from Go For a Run?  They are generously going to give a $20 gift card to one you. 

Update on Popsicle

Remember the calf I posted about yesterday.  We had her in the house Sunday night/ Monday morning since she was born in the below zero wind chills and tried to freeze to death.  My husband had her back with her mom later that day.  Her mom is a heifer (think basically a teenager, not too bright and a little clueless, first time mom) so she needs a little more help.  Popsicle, the baby, is a little slow catching on to nursing, but seems to be getting it, her mom is being a little difficult and keeps wanting to kick the baby.  She seemed to be doing a little better with it all yesterday though. The hobbles on her back feet preventing her from kicking may be helping.

I helped my husband in the morning yesterday with some heifers and then ditched my Carhartts

in favor of the running clothes I had on underneath. Cola and I went for a great 6 mile run in the above freezing temps.  36 degrees and a little windy. 

.

also I noticed yesterday's post was titled Three Things Tuesday when in fact it was Wednesday.  Fail.  I guess I had running on the brain. Must have been the hat.

What was a recent fail you've had lately?

Three for Tuesday

We've had a busy week and exciting week in our house already. 

1. This little guy was born late Sunday night when it was below zero with the wind chills and nearly froze to death.  A little time in the house with a blanket and a space heater and she perked up.

Who doesn't love a baby calf!?

The kids loved waking up to find a calf in the house.  Cola on the other hand was a little more suspicious of the little invader.

2. My little cowboy came home from school yesterday and wanted me to check out his loose tooth

He worked at it until, it was gone! First tooth lost, and he is pretty sure it about time too, his little sis has some loose teeth and it would not be fair if she lost one first!

3. Monday after work I was so happy to come home to sunny, no wind and mid twenties outside.

So Cola and I snuck in a quick 3 miles before I had to start making supper. Perfect winter running weather.

My back is feeling way better and I am so happy about that.  It is supposed to be up to 40 some degrees today. I am helping my husband with some cows this morning and then...run time!  I plan to wear my running clothes underneath my working cows clothes so when we are done running I can trade my boots for my running shoes and run home.