The ABCs of Me

July 12, 2013 by 6 Comments

This Friday’s randomness is brought to you courtesy of Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, who tagged me a couple of days ago with a get to know you ABC game. So grab your coffee cup and here we go….

A. Attached or Single? Married for almost 21 years!

B.  Best friend? I’m very lucky to have some wonderful friends in my life – not naming just one!

C. Cake or pie? Flourless chocolate cake

D. Day of choice? Sundays – it’s the one day of the week where I may get to sleep in, we usually have a big family breakfast followed by a lazy, family hang-out day (except during Lacrosse season or if I’m racing)

E. Essential Item?  I am ridiculously dependent on my smartphone!

F. Favorite color? It seems to change – right  now I love deep purples – though you’d never know it by looking at my wardrobe

G. Gummy bears or worms?  Truthfully, neither.

H. Home town? Boston!  boston_skyline

I. Favorite Indulgence?  A good glass of red wine.

J. January or July? January – I love having a whole fresh year laid out in front of me!

K. Kids? Two great boys and one lovable German Shepherd

L. Life isn’t complete without? Family and friends

M. Marriage date? October 11th

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 wonderful brother

O. Oranges or Apples? Apples!

P. Phobias? Spiders…well all bugs, but especially spiders – skeeve me out!

Q. Quotes? There are several quotes I like, but one favorite is:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

R. Reasons to smile? Without a doubt my boys!

S. Season of choice? Fall – it’s always been my favorite time of the year! Cool, but not cold, weather – perfect for running and football!  And the foliage in N.E. is beautiful!

T. Tag 5 People  I’m going to pass on tagging anyone – but if you want to play along, please leave me a link so I can read your post.

U. Unknown fact about me? As part of my major in college, I use to be fluent in Japanese – sadly I’m not anymore.

V. Vegetable?  Grilled asparagus

W. Worst habit? I’m very Type A which makes me a bit of a perfectionist.

X. Xray or Ultrasound? Odd question, but I guess ultrasounds because it meant I was seeing my baby!

Y. Your favorite food?  Sushi

Z. Zodiac sign? Leo

Have a great weekend!

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Filed Under: general musings, MLK, randomness

Summer mode

July 9, 2013 by 6 Comments

summertime1We have comfortably shifted into summer mode here in the RWA household – the pace has slowed, there’s far less clock watching and on some days this usually high-energy family has become downright lazy! And I say thank goodness 🙂

While getting out early in the morning before the heat really cranks up doesn’t allow for much sleeping in, I have passed on a couple of runs in favor of catching more ZZZs – I figure my both my mind and body will thank me later. When I do run, there’s been almost no attention paid to my Garmin – it’s just been about getting some miles in and trying to acclimate. I’m most definitely not breaking any land speed records and I’m good with that. I know that soon enough I’ll be focused in on hitting paces and more structured workouts as I start training for my fall races.  I am starting to kick my strength training up as I’ve started another 30 ab/core challenge and I’m heading back to my beloved Pilates classes later this week.

How’s your summer going? Have you started training for your fall race yet?

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Filed Under: general musings, just having fun, summer mode

Finish at the 50 10K Recap

July 5, 2013 by 6 Comments

Finish at 50 logo

On Wednesday,  the whole family once again ventured out to Gillette Stadium to take part in the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50. This was our second year doing this event – my oldest participated in the kids’ races and I ran the 10K. J and my youngest son played chief cheerleaders – which quiet honestly may have been the smarter choice!

OK so how to write this recap without it being a complete whine-fest about the heat?! Let me start by saying it was 88 degrees with a dewpoint of 70 – translation the heat and humidity combination was downright oppressive! Combined with the late day start time (6:30 p.m.), this morning runner was way out of my comfort zone!

The Good Stuff

  • The kids races were a lot of fun and my oldest son did great!

    getting a "Congrats!" from Pat the Patriot

    getting a “Congrats!” from Pat the Patriot

  • They changed the location of the 10K starting line so we started in the shade this year
  • The 5K race started an hour before the 10K to help elevate the crowded start
  • Several wonderful residents of Foxborough took pity on us runners and broke out their hoses for some impromptu misting stations – bless them!
  • Enthusiastic volunteers did a great job at the water stops and generally just being really encouraging
  • Challenging course with the first 4.5 miles on a rolling out and back through residential neighborhoods before coming back into the stadium for 1.5 miles of ramps before the final tunnel run to finish at the 50-yard line

The Ugly Stuff

  • It was HOT people – just ugly, soul-sucking hot!
  • ramps-smallRunning those ramps — surprisingly, going up the ramps wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was running down them that proved a lot more challenging, especially when you threw in the hairpin turns at each level. By this point my quads were just screaming to be done!

IMG_2160Post race was like one big tailgate party as runners and their families hang out and wait for the fireworks. We enjoyed a great picnic dinner and the fireworks display did not disappoint!

Overall this is a really well-run family event and a fun way to kick-off our 4th of July celebration! I did say to J shortly after finishing that I just don’t see myself running this again next year – at least not the 10K. J said he may try it and I think I’ll be happy to swap roles as chief cheerleader 🙂

Do you run a 4th of July race?

 

 

 

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Filed Under: #13in2013, family running, Finish at the 50, just having fun, race report

Happy 4th!

July 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

Fireworks2

Wishing you all a very happy and safe 4th of July!

 

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Filed Under: 4th of July

Midway Point

July 1, 2013 by 6 Comments

Amazing to think that we are already through the first 6 months of 2013. Seems like a perfect time for some reflection on my goals for this year.

13 in 2013 Challenge — I’ve completed five races so far with two more on tap for this month. Despite missing two races earlier this year, both thanks in part to Mother Nature (1 canceled due to weather and 1 missed due to minor injury after slipping on black ice), I think hitting the magic 13 is still possible.

Chasing PRs — After missing my target at Run to Remember, I’ll have to wait to see what my fall races bring.  Knowing that I was so close in May despite battling stomach issues the final five miles of the race has me more fired up to get after this goal. I know when I resume training next week I’m going to be more focused than ever to crush it.

Staying off injured-reserve — A patch of black ice took me off my game momentarily at the end of February, but I wasn’t down long. Time with my chiro, yoga and some strength training has all helped to keep me feeling pretty good. I know there is a lot more I could be doing in the strength training department, so I will be giving this a lot more attention during the second half of the year.

Race Volunteer — Had the great pleasure of volunteering for the Boston Marathon helping to greet runners in Hopkinton – it was a great experience and I’m already looking forward to next year.

Run an Obstacle Course — My running buddy E and I are eyeing one for September – stay tuned 🙂

Keep having fun — Running with friends, blogger meet-ups, running in new locales and most recently running with my son — all good stuff and I’m looking forward to more of all of the above over the next 6 months!

How are you doing vs your 2013 goals?

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Filed Under: #13in2013, goals

Designer Whey Giveaway Winners

June 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A huge thank you again to Designer Whey for sponsoring this giveaway!

Without further ado, the winners of a canister of Designer Whey Sustained Energy™ protein power, as selected by Random.org, are:

  1. Rena Jiang
  2. Renata
  3. Kelly @ Cupcake Kelly
  4. Raymond
  5. Suegene Wagner
  6. Half Crazed from Half Crazed Runner

Congratulations! Please contact me at runningwithattitude (at) yahoo (dot) com with all your contact information.

Happy Friday!

 

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Filed Under: #DesignerWhey, giveaways

Thursday Thoughts

June 27, 2013 by 7 Comments

It’s not the Heat it’s the Humidity….we’ve been in the midst of a heat wave since the weekend so that means the return to early morning runs! Making the shift is always a little tough the first few days, but I do love the feeling of being home and done long before the kids have to be out the door for school.

And speaking of school….we have finally hit the home stretch! Tomorrow is the last day 🙂 Hard to believe that I will soon be mom to a 2nd grader and a middle-schooler! As we’ve been inching closer to the last day of school, the boys have been steadily adding to our Summer Bucket List – they’ve got big plans for the next 9 1/2 weeks. Let the fun begin!

ramps-smallIn the “What is she thinking category?“…I’ve been debating between the 5K and 10K for next week’s Finish at the 50 and then I got an email with this picture. Those are ramps inside Gillette Stadium – they’re also the final 2.2 miles of the 10K course! We all know how much I hate don’t love hills, especially at the end of a run, but believe it or not I’ve decided I’m going to do the 10K. If this crazy heat continues I may be cursing this decision…stay tuned 😉

Don’t forget….my Designer Whey Sustained Energy giveaway  ends tonight at 11:00 p.m. EST

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Filed Under: #DesignerWhey, 3 things, early morning runs, Finish at the 50, giveaways, hills

Designer Whey Sustained Energy Review & Giveaway

June 25, 2013 by 21 Comments

DWheyA couple of months ago, I had the chance to review a number of products from Designer Whey – they were all a win with me so I was very happy to get another chance through FitFluential to try Designer Whey’s newest product Sustained Energy™.

Key features of the Sustained Energy™ line include:

  • Formulated with Endurance Blend™ : Designed to give you balanced, stimulant-free, sustained energy through a premium protein blend of fast-absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy & casein proteins.
  • 16g of Protein: 32% Daily Value per serving.
  • 5g of Fiber: To help control hunger.
  • Packed with 19 Vitamins and Minerals: Including B-vitamins to help convert protein, carbohydrates, and fats into energy; vitamins A, C, & E for fast workout recovery; and, calcium and vitamin D to maintain strong bones.
  • 100 calories per serving: Naturally flavored and just 1g of sugar.

Sustained Energy™ comes in two great flavors – Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Velvet. And while I enjoyed them both, Chocolate Velvet was definitely my favorite.

Choco VelvetThis concoction I call Chocolate Heaven is a yummy combination of:

  • 1 scoop Designer Whey Chocolate Velvet
  • 1 cup chocolate almond milk
  • 5- 6 frozen whole strawberries
  • 3-4 frozen cherries (an extra boost of antioxidants for muscle recovery)
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

While I usually love drinking chocolate milk post-run, this shake has been a great alternative and has given me a little added staying power when lunch doesn’t happen until late in the day (which has happened on more than one occasion lately with all the various end-of-year school activities!)

The great folks at Designer Whey are offering 6 — yes six! — Running with Attitude readers a chance to try the new Sustained Energy protein powder in the flavor of their choice!

To enter:

  • (Mandatory) leave a comment telling me which flavor you want to try –  Chocolate Velvet or Vanilla Bean.
  • (Additional entry) Follow both @RunAttitude and @DesignerWhey on Twitter and tweet this message: “I want to win @DesignerWhey Sustained Energy protein powder from @RunAttitude  http://wp.me/p3alX4-lk  #DesignerWhey #FitFluential” Please make sure you  leave a comment here telling me you did.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only and will be open until Thursday, June 27th,  at 11:00 pm EST.  Winners will be announced on Friday, June 28th, 2013.  Good luck!

Product was provided to me by Designer Whey as a FitFluential Ambassador for the purpose of a review. As always, the opinions expressed here are my own.

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Filed Under: #DesignerWhey, FitFluential, giveaways, Nutrition, product reviews

B.A.A. Distance Medley – 10K Recap

June 24, 2013 by 7 Comments

 

BAA 10K

Sunday I ran the second race in the B.A.A.’s Distance Medley – the B.A.A. 10K!

Since my cheer squad was a little tired from a full day Saturday capped off by watching the Bruins’ game, I headed into town solo for this race 🙂 Parking was easy and I was just steps away from the start/finish line.

I had tweeted with Nicole & Amy the day before and our plan was to meet near the bag check – well best laid plans….there were so many runners and I couldn’t find them. Luckily as I was heading to the corrals, Amy’s husband spotted me! Amy and I got a chance for a quick hello and her hubs snapped a pic before I left them to head to the 4th wave group.

It was so hot waiting in that sun for the race to start! We had a moment of silence in honor of those lost in the Marathon bombings and then the runners were encouraged to join in the singing of the National Anthem – it was a very special moment to have all of us singing!  I chatted with a couple of the other runners as we started to shuffle our way up to the start and tried not to think about how hot it was going to be on the course. And then finally we were off!

As expected finding space to settle into a comfortable pace at the start was hard – truthfully things never really opened up, I ran in a crowd for most of the race.  I had a really nice surprise as I made my way up Comm Ave – my dad had come out to cheer me on! He knew J and the boys might not make it and he wanted to me to have someone on the course 🙂

The route took us out through Boston’s Back Bay to Boston University where we made a hairpin turn and then headed straight back. I like out-and-back courses as it gives you a chance to see and cheer the lead runners. The heat was really draining – I am clearly not acclimated yet! But the runners and volunteers were great and made the whole experience a good one. I won’t lie though, by the time I spotted my dad again and he yelled out “One more!” I was so ready to get that last mile done! In fact my last mile was my best split on the back 5k – I was so happy to cross to cross that finish line! I had a quick cool down, jumped in my car and headed home in time for a late breakfast.

So race #5 in my quest for 13 in 2013 is done. Next up is the Finish at the 50 at Gillette Stadium – I was planning to run the 10K but after yesterday’s heat I may aim for the 5K instead 🙂

 

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Filed Under: #13in2013, 10ks, B.A.A. Distance Medley, Finish at the 50, race report

A run with my son

June 21, 2013 by 6 Comments

Now that we’re officially registered for my son’s first 5K, he’s been eager to start training! Since he tends to be an early riser, we agreed that maybe trying to run before school would be more practical than waiting until after school (when I know running with mom is not going to be nearly as appealing as hanging out with his friends!)

So yesterday was suppose to be our first run….my early-riser was sound asleep when I went into his room and I just didn’t have the heart to wake him. Last night I told him if he wanted to run it was up to him to come and get me — well guess who was standing over me well before 6 this morning!

my new early morning running partner!

my new early morning running partner!

waiting for the Garmin to find a satellite

waiting on the Garmin

The last time we ran together it was a pattern of sprint, stop, heavy breathing, walk then sprint again – ah yes, the concept of pacing is lost on a 10-year-old boy! So I suggested that our main goal was to slow down a little so we could keep going without stopping.

He agreed to try and then asked if he could wear my Garmin 🙂  So he had important lesson number 2 of the morning – you need to be patient while you wait for the Garmin to find a satellite!

Finally we were off! He went out fast again but I realized if I could keep him talking it would force him to slow down a bit. He was doing great and I just loved the look on his face – just smiling and talking. We had only one short walk break before turning for home – a huge improvement over out last outing!

Leaving me in the dust

Leaving me in the dust

While we’d planned a half mile run, in the end we made it just over a mile! He was very psyched and is already planning our next run – great way to start a day!

 

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Filed Under: family running, just having fun, kids