"Standing on top of the world, for a little while"

"Standing on top of the world, for a little while"

Friday, May 16, 2014

Fit Fashion Friday: And I quote...

The worlds of fitness and fashion collide again this week...

The Too Fit favorite fashion blogger and newly established rookie runner wrote the following this week in her "stripes and florals and coffee talk" post this week...
"I've actually fallen in love with running. I've wanted to be a runner so bad for so long but never stuck with it. I could never get past that first 10 minutes but now I've really enjoyed the challenge of running, pushing myself to commit to something and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. An added bonus is finding new motivating music. When Rather Be comes on, I imagine I look a bit like Phoebe."
This diva is sticking to her fitness challenge, subbing out her heels (and other adorable shoes), for running kicks to train for her first 10k. My heart smiled so big when I read this in the midst of a dose of fashion and fun on a Dash of Gold

I am pretty sure no one "likes" running initially, but the more you do it, the more you find yourself finding ways to love it. Whether it is an awesome playlist, pretty views along your course, or just getting lost in your own thoughts, you CAN fall in love with running. 

This goes for any fitness activity that doesn't exactly tickle your fancy right away. Ditch jumping the gun with statements that are excuses for simple not taking the adequate time to warm up to something. "I hate spin", "I'm not a runner/swimmer", "Yoga isn't for me", "I can't do weights, I have no upper body strength" - Shut. Your. Mouth. Just because you have never done something before, or tried it once and didn't like it, does NOT mean you "can't". It means you're going to have stick with that fitness activity little longer to find out how you can like it and even grow to love it. 

I am so, so happy Nicole has done this and found a love for running. Such an accomplishment is as rewarding as it is challenging! 


Also, I cannot wait to see her race day outfit!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The Countdown & Race Details - 2 Days & a Wake Up To My 1st Half!

Counting down to the Marine Corps Historic Half, Fredericksburg, Va.

At this point, I am a whole bunch of feelings scrambled together and squeezed into 5 feet, 4 inches and 137 pounds of a rookie runner.

Nervous, pumped, a bit intimidated, inspired, anxious, proud, antsy, hopeful, ecstatic - just to name a few. 

In the midst of the mumbo jumbo of anticipation I have leading up to Sunday, there is one fact in particular that I'm clinging too. That fact is; I AM READY.

Repeat. I am ready! Repeat. I am ready! One more time. I am ready.

I can have all the butterflies in the world leading up to my race day, but those butterflies don't change that fact. I have trained for, prepared to, and am going to run a half marathon on Sunday. 

I sound pretty level headed, don't I? 

Talk to me 4 days ago, after a not so successful go at running hospital hill. I had psyched myself out pretty good, and I was being a baby. It was hot, I had a headache and all of my nerves kicked in at once. It wasn't pretty,but I'm glad I got it out of my system. It just took a few minutes of Nick "chewing me out" with a pep talk, a little watery eyes and a couple deep breaths for me to recoup. 

After that, we did another go at hospital hill and continued on to the following hill at mile 11 (which I'm glad to have discovered before race day). By the time we finished, we had banged out a 5k on that last go. It was what I needed to snap out of it, "get mad" and to instantly kick this "pissed off hangover". 

Training for this race has been eye-opening and my own little journey to do something I hadn't ever done before. When I cross the finish line on Sunday, it will be the first time I have ever run 13.1 miles and I expect the race to be a journey within itself.


I'm looking forward to everything that this weekend holds for me, even Hospital Hill! 

Details for Race Day